My daughter, 7, has a best friend (Kierstin) who's 8. They are the only girls in the neighborhood and play together every day. Kierstin can have a mean streak and has never seemed to play well when there are other children involved. She either gets the other child (or children) to team up and run from or ignore my daughter or she will try to manipulate my daughter into leaving the other child (or children) to just play with her. Recently, Kierstin has had a friend from school over for some sleepovers. The first time, my daughter of course got jealous but accepted it UNTIL Kierstin and her friend walked back and forth in front of our house "taunting" my daughter. They were laughing and yelling, trying to look like they were having the best time together to make my daughter jealous. I thought it was odd and unfortunately, my daughter took the bait and went out to see if she could play with them. Of course, the friend said no, Keirstin agreed and my daughter came home sobbing. It happened twice since then and last night was the worst. Problem is, my daughter will go ahead and play with Kierstin as soon as she's free and act like nothing ever happened! I really want to say or do something but I know that won't help teach my daughter how to handle her own situations. Little girls, little squables, big girls, big sqabbles, she needs to learn how to handle it now, my husband says. He is right! But in the meantime, I try to explain to my daughter that she should not play with Kierstin for a while or flat out tell her that she's not being a good friend when she acts like that. But unfortunately, when my daughter has a chance to confront Kierstin, she says stuff that comes off sounding jealous and hateful against Kierstin's friend and it just eggs Kierstin on. What on earth should I do????

hi your daughters friend is the person who deep down has the problem within her self not your daughter, inside that little girl kersten is proberbly having more emotional problems that you cant see on the outside,she also knows that your daughter will always be there for her no matter what therfor she is able to manipulate her, i would take this in my own hands considering the age and go and speak to the childs mother first on the quite and explain the situation and how its effecting your daughter, i think kirsten needs to be explained to about how to involve other girls and to be told that its ok to have more friends together at certain times and that it can also mean more interesting play within a group and not just one to one, is there also any other girls or relations you could involve with your little girl to help her confidence,i would certainly go over and let the other family no what there girl was doing if it wa mine daughter i would class that as a type of bullying and get it nipped in the bud straight away.hope it all works out, you really feel for your kids and want to protect them when something is bothering them it bothers you, and its not like your daughter can really say well stuff you il go and play with someone else and thats the hold that kirsten is using on her soit needs a different aproach and talking about it and making the other girl see will be the only option.