The withholding of best friend status was one of the things that was really going through my head as I wrote this piece. I thought, “Wait a second…why are we creating a system that causes so much stress for ourselves? If we don’t have a best friend, we feel we’re lacking. If we have one, we worry they may take away their affection. Something’s wrong here.”

Thanks for your comment and I hope your 11 year-old buys in to this approach. I know in my heart that it’s a good way to go but it can be hard for teens and tweens, especially considering the BFF culture that surrounds them.

-Meredith