[clrm64]

Hi to everyone! Im new here and in serious search of some advice. Let me start by saying I'm a mom of two. My boy is 16 and my daughter is 11. Im 34 and raising my son seemed terribly easy compared to raising my daughter. I have lived in my neighborhood for seven years now. It started as a quiet place and over the last few years has turned into hell. Its almost like a prison here. My daughter has ADD... mild though. Not hyper active, just short attention and seems to be slightly below the "other" girls in the neighborhood. All she wants to do is be a kid and play and have friends. The way it was when we grew up! There's a girl on the next street whose backyard faces my front yard. My daughter made friends with her about 3 summers ago. BIG mistake. This friendship was doomed from the beginning. Slowly over the course of the few years, she has completely turned every other child on the street against mine. They tease her, they pick on her. Sometimes my daughter would play with one of them and then the other child would just up and leave her because this girl came home or outside... I can't change the influence this girl has on all the other kids. The parents are just as bad. No way to get around it. The girl is one of those "Im all that" kind of girls. You can hear the kids talking on occasion, my daughters name being mentioned... Its horrible. Im at my wits end. Ready for battle at any moment to defend my daughter, but in the same note, I'm mentally exhausted. My husband is taking my daughter this Saturday to start a martial arts class. It runs for six weeks as a trial to see if it might help her with some self esteem issues and to get her out of this atmosphere. I hate having to feel so defensive every time I walk out of my front door, or to let her walk out. Im constantly running to the window and trying to listen to others conversations hoping not to hear anything. Does anyone have any advice? The parents around here are the "right in your face kind" and I told my husband if someone takes a swing I'm going to blow. There is still so much more to this story that I have to get out! Anyone? Thanks

[shenda]

Having your child involved in external activities helps to foster friendships that lasts a lifetime; Your daughter will be fine, you must believe that, relax so that you do not stress out. If all else fails, she has you and she needs a healthy you. I have a girlfriend who experienced your situation, she states that once she befriended a few of the families within her neighborhood she was able to relax because the families became familiar with her and her daughter embracing them. She felt that it was the fear of not knowing, the distance between the families distorted healthy relationships later fostered; however, there remains some who try to pick at her nerves, but she refuses to accept their attempts. Her biggest victory became apparent as her daughter's involvement in art increased.