In the best of times, tween friendships are tricky and shifting, inevitably hitting snags. Being cut off from peers during the pandemic leave some feeling left out or bullied online or an open target for gossip. Phyllis Fagell, a psychotherapist, school counselor and author of Middle School Matters, provides insights into what your child may be experiencing or feeling with concrete approaches you can use to help your tweens and teens during this period of social isolation and long after. Under the best of circumstances, middle schoolers have to navigate a complex social landscape. They care deeply about their friends, but their empathy is developing, they’re insecure, and they’re still learning how to self-regulate and interpret non-verbal cues. They’re also in the throes of puberty, maturing at wildly different rates, and engaging with well-meaning but equally unskilled peers. As the pandemic and social distancing add a new layer of stress,