“It can be brutal — and I mean brutal — to watch your child struggle to connect with others or fail to feel at home in the tiny universe that is their school, unsure of who to hang or play or eat lunch with,” admits Katie Arnold-Ratliff. “And it takes maddeningly little for a kid to end up in this situation. Last year’s BFF gets assigned to another class, or just another table. Power rankings shift. Loyalties wither. The buddy that once embraced your child wanders elsewhere at recess. It’s common, but that doesn’t make it suck any less.” But do you actually want to teach your kid they need to fit in? How are you supposed to weave between two contradictory impulses — the need for acceptance and the importance of being yourself? She’s got some thoughts, so give it a read. Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor | 
