It's not that I'm saying you don't need friends.
My daughter entered a Japanese school, and because she couldn't speak Japanese and didn't know many of the Japanese games that ordinary children know, she probably had a hard time fitting in. But she's working hard silently without complaining. Sometimes she gets anxious and cries, or her breathing becomes ragged. But she's not giving up.
I decided that if she could get through this initial stage, she would be okay, and she's working hard on her own. You can't lift heavy weights in weight training right from the start. She's amazing. I'm proud of her. Her Japanese is also gradually improving.
One day, I told my daughter
"You don't have to try to make friends. If you want to draw pictures during recess, you can just draw. If you're interested in fallen leaves, you can pick them up and play by yourself."
She looked a little surprised. But that's okay. School isn't about doing the same thing as everyone else. You don't have to make "100 friends" like in TV commercials. Friends will come when they come, naturally. Just like before.
School isn't necessarily a place to make friends. I understand it as a place to develop the skills to be yourself, no matter where you go in the future.
(By the way, perfect attendance awards? I'm not a big fan of those. That's parental ego. Children should rest when they want to rest.)
So today, I jokingly asked, "Did you pick up any leaves at school today?"
And she replied with a smile, "No, I didn't!"
That's good. Keep it up! We are always there for you!!