Peace Family how can we can teach our daughters how to deal with mean girls? Bullying is everywhere nowadays and sometimes we don’t know what to say to give our girls tools to cope with the problem. Just saying ‘Turn the other cheek’ seems so trite to them. So I did some research for you and have found 5 great tips to share with your kids. These were written by an amazing writer named Kari Kampakis, who is a mother of four girls, to address this struggle.
- Help your daughter to see behind the facade. Much of the bad behavior mean girls exhibit is a desperate attempt to become, or stay popular. It is rooted in insecurity. Help her see that mean girls aren’t brave. To the contrary, some are the most fragile, insecure girls. Recognizing this may help your daughter be less intimidated and affected by their behavior.
- Tell her what real friends look like. Real friends encourage her, want the best for her and celebrate successes with her. False friends act like friends one minute but entirely different the next. The more distance she can put between her and those that routinely cut her down, the better. Search out friends that have her back.
- Teach her not to retaliate. It takes self-discipline, but she will be happier in the long run is she refuses to repay mean girls with some meanness of her own.
- Remind your daughter that she can choose to pursue kindness or popularity, but not both. Young women that choose to prioritize kindness over popularity will ultimately be happier. They will draw the right kind of friends into her life and have fewer regrets for having treated others badly. Pursuing popularity will almost always put you in a position to making other feel rejected or unloved.
- Encourage her to find like-minded girls to ensure people around them are always treated with kindness. That way your daughter will have a better chance of living up to her own standards. Remind her to look out for others who may be on the fringe of things—left out or lonely—and make sure they are treated with kindness.
I’m sure you can think of many other points and tips to give your child but this is a good place to start. Bullying is never okay. We love you Peace Family and want your kids to be happy and healthy!
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