My very nearly 13 year old daughter is incredibly bright, funny and mature. She seems to be happy at school and often talks about people she interacts with during the school day. I get the impression that she isn't short of people to talk to on a day to day basis.
The problem is that during the school holidays, she completely retreats into her own little world. She will stay in her room reading for days on end if I would let her. I make her come on family outings if just to get some fresh air into her lungs. But she just won't make plans with friends. I have encouraged her to make arrangements? Even if it just for a quick walk to the park for an hour but she refuses. So I told her I want her to have made arrangements with friends for two different activities. She is begging me not to have to do this. I didn't think I was being unreasonable. I will take her and her friends wherever they have planned to be and will pay for her. Two activities in two weeks also doesn't sound excessive to me.
When I was her age I was out with friends all the time, just hanging out and not really doing much. I certainly wasn't popularism was/am shy and awkward in some social circumstances, but had a good group of close friends who I wanted to spend time with.
Am I being unreasonable by pushing her to socialise? I don't want her to fester in her room feeling miserable. Or do I just need to accept that she is perfectly happy as a 'loner' and that eventually she'll find something/someone that will make her want to venture out?
No one ever told me the tween years would be this tense!!