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[Naturenut]

Hi everyone! I have an 11 year old daughter diagnosed with adhd combined. She had a hard time in school. She loves people and wants friends but cant keep them. So heartwrenching and I feel helpless at times. We took her out of school and started homeschooling. This is year 3 now and it's been great for her. Still struggling with friendship making though. Amazingly, shes a happy kid through all this. Our days are good. I wake up during wee hours nightly because I worry. It's an isolating feeling. I'm glad to have found this group!

[Blessedmamaof3]

I am happy that homeschooling is working for her, I have learned it is hard for many kids that have ADHD to make friends because nobody really wants to take the time to understand them or they say things they don't mean. Two of my three children have trouble making friends due to their ADHD so they only have a few friends and it is a daily struggle but they have found other people with some of the same things they do so it does help. Maybe you could try finding a group of parents that live close by and their children also struggle with making friends. I am so happy that you have found this group and I just joined a few days ago and it is already helping me with just knowing I do have a place to go to talk about this.

[anirush]

Both my adult daughter and 2 grandkids with ADHD have had friends they talked to in school but no one they hang out with on weekends. They range from being shy to bossy and annoying.

The boys go to a behavioral counselor who tries to teach them social cues.

[Natasha_W]

I have a 13 yr old daughter with ADHD and all her life she has not been able to keep a friend. She can make friends so easily but it lasts for a very short time. No one ever wants to come over and hang out or have a sleepover. She watches her younger brother and sister have best friends, hangout, and have sleepovers all the time. It breaks my heart to see her not have a best friend. I try so hard to help her by inviting her school friends over and I explain to the other kids parents that she can be a little much but she really just wants a true friend. I totally feel your pain!!!

[MashiSashi in reply to Natasha_W]

Sounds hard to witness as a parent but you’re doing the work to help!

[workinmom9]

My 11 year old daughter also has ADHD, combined type. She struggles socially. She's a bright, happy girl with a big, out-going personality. She doesn't understand some social cues and can come off bossy at times, other times she's very emotional. She says she has a few friends in school, but never gets invited to sleep overs, hang outs, or birthday parties. We've had some bullying incidents over the years also. The best thing I have ever done to help her socially is send her to overnight camp in the summer. She's gone two summers in a row. First year for two weeks, last summer she went for four weeks. She is in her element at camp.... everyone's buddy, a leader among the 30 girls in her cabin. Granted, I work at the camp so I do get to see her on a daily basis. But, it's been such a positive experience. We keep in contact with a few camp friends throughout the year and make plans for sleepovers or get-togethers every few months. My heart breaks when she's upset about not having friends at school.