[joelsgirl]

I'm really struggling because my middle child, who has always been a joy & a delight, has changed since we got back to the States this summer. He's fifteen, so that's part of it, and he desperately wants to be back in the Philippines where all his friends are. He refuses to make new friends while we're here because he doesn't want to have to say good-bye. I get it. It's really hard. But it's like he is walking around with a dark cloud over his head, and he's so rude to me and Joel. He ignores me when I walk in the room; he won't talk to me; I feel like we're always walking on eggshells around him.

I just don't know what to do, and it makes me so sad. He had a big meltdown last month, and then he was better and acted like his old self. But now he's back to hating us and isolating again. He's seeing a counselor, but if anybody has any advice for me, I would be glad to hear it.