Nine year old girls and arguing with friends

[expatinspain]

Just wanted to gauge some opinions/other people's experience on nine year old girls and their friendships.

DD is in year 4 and is friend with all the girls in her class, but particularly close with three girls. Since the start of the school year they seem to be constantly arguing. At least once a week, sometimes more and sometimes making up that day, but other times it goes on for a couple of days. Sometimes it's two arguing and the others taking sides, sometimes all of them and sometimes Three falling out with one. They had an argument on the first day back at school after not seeing each other over Xmas!

Is this normal at this age? I remember having a fair few conflicts at that age, but not as frequently as this. DD doesn't seem overly upset by it at the moment, but the other girls have known each other for much longer and I'm worried all of these arguments are going to explode one day and she's going to be the one left out of the friendship group, as she's the newest. Is anyone else experience this with their similar age DD, or is this situation unusual??

I do remember we all suddenly became like teenagers overnight around the age of 9. It's normal to an extent but at this age some adult guidance wouldn't be a bad idea.

Yes we had exactly the same. They're year 6 now and have calmed down a bit but years 4 and 5 were hellish. And these are girls that have known each other since reception, in some cases kindergarten. I think certainly now they're just getting sick of each other. But yes, constant arguing and falling out.

I saw some good books on Mighty Girl on this subject. The arguments at that age seem so common with girls. I remember at school there were a couple of alpha girls who would send a different person to Coventry almost every day. Many tears!

Good to hear it's not unusual! I'm trying to get DD to take the high road, not respond back and be calm, but I'm afraid that's going in one ear and out of the other! I guess that's an adult way of dealing with things as opposed to a nine year olds way.