Abbey has a close group of friends at school, but we’re halfway through 7th grade and she’s only hung out with them once–some birthday party a year ago. I don’t know if any of them hang out much, although they’re all great friends at school.

When she does have get-togethers, it’s still with one or two of the neighborhood kids she met in kindergarten. And Gabriel doesn’t hang out with any of his school friends either–he plays with the kids next door and across the street all the time, but even though they go to the same school, they don’t hang out on the playground.

Just offering this perspective because it may help to know that often that disconnect is there, but it seems almost natural. I remember Abbey had a friend in 4th and 5th grade and they were inseparable at school. I asked Abbey a few times about arranging a play date with the girl on a weekend, but the idea seemed to throw her.

I think it’s kind of like you have your work friends, and you can have really great work friends, but it can seem awkward hanging out outside of work. Anyway, I’m going on, but I do think that this happens a lot.