son has lost best friend - what can i do?

[curtaincall]

This morning, my step-daughter set off with her ds 7 for a new life on the other side of the country. He looked a bit shell-shocked to be going. Leaving all his friends, his school and only grandparents that he knows. my ds is his closest friend though 2 years younger. They have lived just down the road for 5 years so they don't remember a time when the other wasn't around. They frequently have sleepovers and we see them at least once a week, and see other more as brothers than anything. I know we can probably visit in the holidays, although it's a very long way and expensive to get there. When we visit there'll be friends and family elsewhere who will miss out too if we don't visit them. Feeling a bit heartbroken and sad for both of them. My ds has just asked if he will ever see him again. Has anyone else been in a similar situation?

Not really the same, but my DS had a best friend who lived next door. They moved out when DS was 7 and he really didn't know what to do with himself. However, a year on and he's pretty much forgotten that his friend ever lived next door. Although now he doesn't have anyone there to play with he has adapted and moved on. I think children are quite resilient and do manage pretty well.

Might be an idea to get them talking via Skype on a regular basis to begin with, so they can exchange news etc but I think it will naturally wane over time. It's very sad for them both though .

Oh that's really sad. Can they write to each other, enclosing little bits of stuff, like leaves from the garden and tat like that? To make them feel still that they are connected with ordinary day to day stuff? Rather than big events during the school holidays. In my mind it makes sense!

Thank you for replying. Hadn't really believed there'd be anyone out there who would be kind enough or have the time to say those sweet and helpful things. I suppose i just wanted to air it somehow. My husband, (who's daughter and grandson it is) is one of those accepting, philosophical people, and though he's sad, i'm the one left emoting and not really understanding why they've gone. (She very much a free spirit and doesn't have a job or a relationship that she's going to - just a beautiful landscape.)

We are going to try Skype but you know what little boys are like! It's a physical thing with them. Will encourage my ds to write though.

Yes this happened to my son. When he was about 5 and a half a dear friend he had known since birth moved countries, also involved parents splitting up. At first he asked after her alot and wanted to know lots of why details that were sometimes hard to answer but it slowly stopped. That was about 18 months ago and he has moved on quite happily, we have seen her twice since then and it is as if she doesn't remember their friendship and wont speak to him. I feel sad about that but her life has changed so much whereas ours is pretty much the same, am sure her previous life is a distant memory for her.