I can't even...
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/11/15/111511-news-girl-suicide-1-3/
I can't even be bothered to format the above link nicely. Just click on it. It's horrible.
You guys, bullying has GOT to stop. We have GOT to tell our kids it's not okay to shame, tease, anything.
Mel is 9. One year younger. For those of you who've met her, you know she's unique and made of awesome. But in kid-world, unique = different. And different = not good. She's been teased in increasing amounts for years. Despite being funny, pretty, creative, smart - she feels she can't make friends at school. Her few friendships are roller coasters - one day they adore each other, the next that same friend will be exceedingly mean. It's to the point that she asks every day "Mom, what's wrong with me?" and no matter what I say, she doesn't believe she's not flawed, and she doesn't believe she's pretty. We, the adults in her life, constantly make efforts to compliment her and praise her and tell her she's rad. But until she gets the same reaction from kids her own age...
She has people who love her, and she has a therapist. But for fucks sake, why can't she just have some other kids see her for how awesome she is?
This scares me, guys. I just want to hug her forever and make sure nothing bad ever happens to her, but sadly, I CAN'T always be there. I wish I could trust that when she's away from me people (other kids) would just be decent humans to her.
I can't even be bothered to format the above link nicely. Just click on it. It's horrible.
You guys, bullying has GOT to stop. We have GOT to tell our kids it's not okay to shame, tease, anything.
Mel is 9. One year younger. For those of you who've met her, you know she's unique and made of awesome. But in kid-world, unique = different. And different = not good. She's been teased in increasing amounts for years. Despite being funny, pretty, creative, smart - she feels she can't make friends at school. Her few friendships are roller coasters - one day they adore each other, the next that same friend will be exceedingly mean. It's to the point that she asks every day "Mom, what's wrong with me?" and no matter what I say, she doesn't believe she's not flawed, and she doesn't believe she's pretty. We, the adults in her life, constantly make efforts to compliment her and praise her and tell her she's rad. But until she gets the same reaction from kids her own age...
She has people who love her, and she has a therapist. But for fucks sake, why can't she just have some other kids see her for how awesome she is?
This scares me, guys. I just want to hug her forever and make sure nothing bad ever happens to her, but sadly, I CAN'T always be there. I wish I could trust that when she's away from me people (other kids) would just be decent humans to her.