Parents,would it worry you if your child seems to have no friends?

[katharsis]

Originally Posted by AnonymousGirl

I am a senior in high school,and outside of school I do not hang out with anyone,text with anyone,talk with anyone on the phone. Most of my peers at schools are or seem immature or a troublemaker or both,so I keep my distance from them.But I guess I can try harder to make friends. Anyway,this worries my mom,and she thinks that I will be like this when I become an adult also. My question is,parents would you be worried if this was your child and they seem to have no close friends,and would you think that your child would be the same as an adult?

I was much like you when I was your age (many eons ago). I only ever had, at most, one good friend, although in high school, I also had, maybe, six "lunch friends." I was an introverted kid and I grew up to be an introverted adult. However, it didn't bother me then and it doesn't bother me now. I always thought I would rather have one GOOD friend (or NO friends) than a lot of friends that weren't really friends.

As far as "if [you] were my daughter is concerned", it would not bother me BECAUSE, as I said, I was the same way you are, and I grew up to be mostly happy and content. If your mom is different -- if having a good and active social life with many friends is important to her AND she thinks this is an important ingredient to happiness -- then I can understand why she is worried. (There is such a thing as a "normalcy bias", in which one thinks that something that applies to himself or herself also applies, or should apply, to everyone else. In other words, judging "normal" to be what is normal to the person making the judgment.)

Anyway, if you haven't already, I think tell your mom what you have written here and then every so often assure her that you ARE happy (if, of course, you truly are).

And, btw, you are very fortunate to have a mom who cares so much and loves you so much, but I think from your post that you definitely are sensitive enough and intelligent enough to already know that!