DD very down in the dumps...ideas please...

[porkypoo]

She keeps saying she is rubbish at everything. She struggles at school and is just starting Year 6. I really need some ideas as a way of boosting her morale and self confidence, she is pretty and kind (most of the time!!) But can have some friendship troubles - girls will be girls! I think she may be full of hormones too! any ideas greatly appreciated. x

Sounds like you need a longer term plan such as talking to teachers, getting her into new groups that aren't academically based such as Brownies/Guides, choir, sports, and a short term plan to boost her right away, like letting her cook her favourite dish for tea. What is she good at? What does she like doing? What new thing might she like to try that she might be good at?

I'm sure someone with more experience and ideas will be along soon.

Good luck.

Thanks bluechampagne. I will try the tea making idea tonight. Fingers crossed she has had a good day at school. She already goes to guides, but its in the village we live in and so its the same group from school. Any additional ideas would be gratefully recieved.

I've got a book somewhere called Self Esteem Tips For Girls. Will dig it out after the school run and have a look for you. Might be worth a look on Amazon?

Any further ideas on this subject folks?? 20 minutes of tears tonight, again she is rubbish at everything and now the girls in her class think she is dumb so dont want anything to do with her. :-( this is killing me x

Another guiding group? With a set of girls she doesn't know? Scouts? They accept girls now.

Any feedback from school or Guide leader? Are they aware there's a problem?

Perhaps your local librarian could recommend some novels that might reflect her situation.

Any crafts she's good at/interested in that could be encouraged? Horse riding? Swimming? Drama? If you're in a village it must be harder to find a new social group, so maybe she needs to mix with some children of different ages too.

Do you think a blog or diary, where she can get things off her chest, might work?