Tonight with your 9 to 12 year old
The prompt
“Do you have two friends who don't get along with each other? What's that like for you?”
What to listen for
A detailed answer shows they've been quietly managing a tricky social balancing act, and telling you means they trust you not to make it more complicated by getting involved.
If they describe feeling caught in the middle or exhausted by it, that's worth naming out loud for them, kids often don't realize managing other people's relationships isn't actually their job.
If they say it doesn't bother them, take that at face value but check back in, this kind of situation has a way of resurfacing.
What this tells you
This shows you how your child handles being caught between people they care about, without losing themselves in the process.