..my youngest daughter said to me when I picked her up from school.
She just found out that one of her best friends is moving in a few weeks.
While it’s sad, it’s the second time this has happened to her in two years. That’s two times too much for any 8yr old.
It breaks my heart to see such a happy little girl wrestle with such feelings.
We talked about love & loss.
We talked about how her friend’s family will be much happier there.
We talked about how great it is to know people all over the country and the fun we have when we travel to meet them.
We talked about video chatting and using technology to keep in touch with our distant friends.
But mostly we talked about how nice it is that she can lean on those that live under our roof.
She stopped holding them in
…but woke up this morning with a smile.
[ Feel free to send suggestions that have helped your child manage the “loss” of a friend ]
So hard – maybe even harder on you than her!! Don’t you wish you could shield them from every hurt… Worst part of parenting!!
I think you’re right. If only there was an app for that!! Thanks for commenting Anne.
I’m not gonna cry, I’m NOT gonna cry…. 🙁
Change is a tough thing for anybody to go through. It sounds like your daughter’s in good hands, though! 🙂
It’s an emotional ride, this parenting thing. Thanks for your support!
Breaks my heart too! 🙁 All of this is made harder by the fact that when she actually makes friends — she has chosen very carefully!
You have supported her so well…but she has been through this before. Maybe that helps? Maybe comparing how she felt when her first friend left and how sad she was…but what happened? She found another friend. Talk about the characteristics of those 2 friends. Now the quest begins: Stay in touch with the ‘old’ friends and now find a new friend who has those same qualities — she knows what she is looking for!
Sending lots of hugs her way!
Absolutely. Problem is she’s somewhat lost touch with that 1st friend (due mostly to the coastal time differences) which is why staying in touch is so important. That’s also been a helpful topic of discussion. Thanks for the support!!
Awww that made me all teary 🙁 I think we’ll be navigating the same waters soon as one of my daughter’s best friends may be moving half way around the world! 🙁 Good thing we have things like skype…when I was little and a friend moved away it usually meant you’d never hear or see them again.
Sorry your little one is going through the heartache of a good friend moving away.
Whatever you are doing with your little girl keep it up, you sound like a loving, caring father.
Much thanks. She’s got some great support all around her 🙂