Popularity Isn't What Matters Most
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Popularity Isn't What Matters Most
Question
Dr. Braccio: Our fifteen year old daughter has had one very close friend her whole life. She also has a few acquaintances she infrequently spends time with. She's a fine girl but I wonder if she should reach out and have more friends. She seems happy but I feel her life might be better if she tried to have more friends and be with more people. What do you think?
Answer
My first response is you are lucky in this day and age to have a stable 15 year old daughter with a good lifelong friend and a few acquaintances.
That "she seems happy" and you have no reason to doubt this, should be cause to back off and let her enjoy her life. She obviously is doing fine. Too often parents are concerned that their children are not with the "popular" kids in the "fast social track". Do not join that group. To be popular has its benefits, but at age 15, inappropriate temptations can be overwhelming. Your daughter has a lifetime to develop her personality and relationships. Let her grow at a pace she is comfortable.
To encourage your daughter to be involved in church, school or community activities is positive for someone her age as long as the goal is to make activities available she may enjoy versus pushing her to do what you want her to do.
The temptation of our culture is to sometimes advocate quantity of relationships over their quality. It displays wisdom that your daughter prefers to manage her relationships with others qualitatively versus quantitatively. In fact, to demonstrate long-term trust and loyalty with others, even if only with one close friend, is a desirable social/emotional outcome of adolescence. These qualities will serve her well in the future. Too many adolescents have only surface level "friendships" that usually do not stand the test of time. Her friendship appears well on the road to being a lifetime friendship. It will be a positive model for future relationships she may choose to enter.