Cynthia

My eleven year old daughter- she just started middle school and everyone knows that those three years are some of the hardest to face in a child's life because the social hierarchy starts to form. I still remember my experience in those days, and it wasn't a pleasant one, but at least I has some friends to lean on and never felt too alone.

Cynthia, on the other hand, seems to suffer from being extremely anti-social. She's painfully shy and very critical of herself, trying hard to please others so that they'll like her. I've seen the way she acts around other kids her age, and it worries me because I'm not sure how to encourage her to branch out and socialize...I'm not sure if she even wants to. And this is all because of Cynthia's new best friend, Rachel.

Rachel, to put it bluntly, is allowed to dress like some punk-gothic-rocker. I don't know why her parents are okay with this, seeing as she went the whole nine yards with not only clothes, but make-up and "jewelery" as well. Spiked collars, multi-colored dyed hair, black nails and lipstick- all of this seems to make her believe she is better than most everyone else. And I don't mean I gathered this just from her appearance. The way she acts around adults and other kids is appalling. She treats them like they're beneath her, she's rude and cusses. How she learned to act this way makes me wonder if her parents are similar, but I've never seen them.

In short, while I don't like to judge people on how they look, I simply do not want my daughter hanging around with this girl. She's a bad influence.

I'm not sure why Rachel decided to only stick around with Cynthia- though it's more like Cynthia adores Rachel- but I wish she would stay away. I feel like Rachel does something behind everyone's backs because every time I see her she has these dark bags under her eyes that grow between visits and she often looks like she's going to pass out. I think she's been forcing herself to not sleep. Lord knows why, but for some reason this girl doesn't want to close her eyes and even take a nap. One day, when Cynthia brought her over for a visit, I decided to try and offer for her to have some shut eye in our guest bedroom, but she declined saying that if she fell asleep for even a second that, "He would get her".

I was confused, and asked her what she meant, but she shook her head and simply answered, "He comes in while I'm sleeping, so I can't sleep."

I don't know what she meant, but that made me even more certain that something is wrong with this girl and that Cynthia needs to find a new friend. But no matter how much I try and explain my reasoning, Cynthia doesn't seem to want to listen. She seems to think that Rachel is going through something she can help with. I asked her what was wrong with Rachel, and she said some tall man had been stalking her.

I don't know what to do...I'm worried that Cynthia is going to be dragged into something bad. But I don't want to forbid her from seeing Rachel, that would be cruel.

Okay, sorry, end rant/mother worrying post. Though, I don't think anyone reads this. Sorry to suddenly burst out with this, it's just been bothering me for a couple weeks now and yesterday Cynthia came home late from Rachel's house and she didn't even tell me she was going over there.

I don't know. Hopefully things will get better. Until next time,
Cathy