It’s easy to reject somebody as a friend when you’re an adult. You just have to cancel hangouts or not show up to their house parties a consistent but unspecific number of times before they finally get the hint that you’re not interested. Some might find this cruel, but I think it’s way less cruel than telling someone straight up that you don’t like them and don’t want to hang out with them anymore. That explicit sentiment has the tact of a child, as so many of us know. Getting flat-out rejected by a friend can be traumatic and upsetting as a young tween, but slowly drifting away as if nothing happened is a kinder approach, in my opinion. That’s why it’s nice when you’re young enough for your mom to manage your social affairs. One 11-year-old did not enjoy hanging out with a new playmate, and when her mom tried to let the other girl’s mom down easily, it did not go smoothly.