My Daughter’s Best Friend Moved Away- How We Coped

1

My daughter’s best friend moved away.

We knew for a while that this move was coming, but it still hit hard when it came. The girls met in kindergarten and were immediately best friends. They were in the same classrooms for both kindergarten and first grade. They sat next to each other at lunch everyday. They played together at recess. The girls also lived around the corner from each other and generally saw each other every weekend. They constantly gave each other little presents.

Then my daughter’s friend moved to another state.

It’s only about three hours away, but it’s far enough that they will no longer see each other every weekend. They are still too young to really talk on the phone. They are definitely too young to have their own social media accounts. The separation is hard on my daughter. She still wants to be friends with this girl, but it takes a lot more effort from a distance. I’m hoping these girls will remain friends, but I doubt that they will stay as close as they once were. 

 girl, viewed from the back 

In the meantime, I can do my part to help keep the girls connected.

I show my daughter pictures of her friend on Facebook. We talk about her friend, even though she moved away. I’m hoping that the girls can still get together, although it definitely won’t be as often. I’m sure I will be able to find some fun things to do in the friend’s new town while the girls play together occasionally. It could be fun for the rest of my family to explore a new place. I’m also hoping that the girls could go to a summer camp together. That would give them some quality bonding time and also a really fun, classic childhood experience.

If the girls can stay friends now, I think they will remain friends over time.

Once they are older, they will be able to connect with each other over social media. This has certainly allowed me to stay connected with friends who live in other states. Once they are old enough to drive, it will become much easier for them to meet up with each other whenever they want. Once they graduate from high school, they will likely move away from home anyway. Maybe the girls will end up near each other as adults. Who knows?

Luckily, my daughter has plenty of other local friends.

She has several friends in her class at school this year, which will help her get over not having her best friend at school. I’m doing my part to support her by being more proactive to reach out and arrange play dates with other friends. It’s always a good idea to have a whole group of friends. This way, your happiness isn’t dependent on one particular person. Over time, friends will have disagreements and may grow apart from each other. I will encourage my daughter to keep making new friends over time.

Like the classic song says, “Make new friends, but keep the old.”

I will help my daughter stay in touch with her best friend, even though she moved to another state. I will also encourage my daughter to spend time with her friends that attend her school. My overall goal is to raise a happy, healthy daughter. A variety of friends will definitely help her achieve this goal. Having friends move away is a part of life at all ages. I’m glad that I can help my daughter learn how to deal with this situation now, so that she will have those skills later in life.

Friendship comes in many forms, and they are all beautiful!

girl in white dress waves to a plane

 

My Daughter's Best Friend Moved Away- How We Coped

1 COMMENT

  1. I find the idea of “best friends” so limiting. It is great to have close friends, but I find the label often attaches greater meaning than how friendships naturally evolve over time. The expectation that friendship with endure—even if two classmates stay in the same town—is a high one. I’m hoping to teach my kids that friendships change and you can respect others without holding onto “best” labels. Friendships are hard! I like this post because you acknowledge that.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here