'Sit with us' is just what our kids need

How could anyone forget the feeling of desperately seeking out friends to eat with at lunchtime?

Nothing used to fill me with dread more. Sometimes it was being the new kid, and sometimes it was falling out of favour with friends, it felt the same. That churning feeling in the pit of my stomach still haunts me.

Now I’d love to eat lunch alone with a good book. But as a teenager, the prospect used to be horrifying. What would people think?

That’s why I love the new ‘Sit With Us’ app developed by American teenager Natalie Hampton. She was inspired to create it after sitting alone for a whole year during year 7.

She now has loads of friends and a secure social circle, but wanted to reach out to __kids who don’t.

This is how it works: __kids become ambassadors in the school and have an open ‘sit with us’ policy. kids can check on their phones to see who is hosting an ‘open lunch’ and go and seek them out discreetly with the use of the app.

“This way it’s very private. It’s through the phone. No one else has to know,” Natalie explained to Huffpost. “And you know that you’re not going to be rejected once you get to the table.”

It’s a cause close to my heart at the moment. A family member has just pulled her bright and lovely 10 year old out of school because of bullying. It’s hard to fathom just how cruel little girls can be. And their parents don’t seem to realise the impact their daughters are having. Or don’t care.

Grace has been mercilessly excluded, teased and tormented for years. It seems no one has her back, with teachers blaming her ‘over reactions’ for enflaming the situation.

Grace has Asperger’s and is incredibly bright. She stands taller than the other kids in her class. She basically stands out like a sore thumb.

One day her uniqueness will be celebrated, but right now she just needs a friend.

‘Sit With Us’ would be a fantastic tool for Australian schools to implement. Not just to look after the vulnerable kids, but to also build community spirit and show kids how to treat each other.

School can be such a lonely place for so many kids, but there are also a lot of wonderful leaders in fellow students out there who would love the opportunity to make a real difference.