We marked Armistice Day with the traditional 2 minute silence. Years 2-6 met for assembly & watched a 20 slide presentation throughout the silence where I learnt something new: did you know that the correct way to wear your poppy is with the leaf pointing to 11 o'clock? It was a poignant morning. On Sunday we will parade for Remembrance Sunday.
Last night I met a friend for drinks and had a lovely, long evening gossiping away about everything & nothing. As we were leaving she dropped something of a bombshell: she is leaving her significant other in the New Year & moving. I am glad for her that she is able to make this change but so, so sad for me that I am losing a 'local' friend. Is that selfish?
F has just gone off to the birthday party of her new best friend. She is struggling with friendships & some newly-mean-girls right now, trying to find out where she fits into this pre-pubescent society & I ache for her. The party is a disco & although I suggested she wear leggings, a skirt & a top she was determined she wanted to wear a dress & picked one out of her wardrobe. I was concerned that it was a bit young (gorgeous but something you'd go out with your parents wearing, not your friends) so I took her out & navigated that fine line between 'grown-up' & 'you-look-like-a-trollop'.
She found a lovely black dress & some silver shoes, chose a fancy for her hair & some very grown-up tights. She looked soooo grown up & gorgeous when she got ready, I even applied a little make up & took this mature vision to the disco, where she immediately looked like a little girl as everyone else (that I saw, which admittedy wasn't everyone) was wearing jeans/leggings/tops etc... Please let her feel amazing & grown-up, please don't let anybody say anything horrid to her, please let her known how fab she is.
And please, let me figure out how to help her fit into this phase without losing my little girl, without compromising who she is & without too much trauma. If I could MAKE this girl be the kind of friend she longs for that would help too.
We had a deep & meaningful conversation the other night about friendships with me reassuring her that this is often a tough time, heck I was miserable at her age, having moved a year before I didn't feel like I made real friendships again until I went to senior school (aside from one, which seemed like the perfect friendship for a while, we did things & went places together, then not long after we started senior school I was majorly dumped...and heartbroken...I need not to forget how that felt) I reassured her that even if this new friendship isn't all she hoped I made my proper, lasting friendships at secondary school & it looks like J has too.
Anybody have a manual for all this?
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