And so the 'girly' issues begin..... (or continue)....

I think that I knew 9 years ago when Dawn and I started talking about wanting children, that there were going to be bumps in the road for that child as they endured the school age years.  I expected and prepared myself for dealing with the 'there may be derogatory remarks made because he/she has two mom; kids can be mean about others with atypical families; there may need to be some ability to find other families like our own.'  And I wasn't naive enough to think that there wouldn't be the usual 'picking' comments made about wearing glasses, or having braces; but I think that I had expected those to happen near middle school, and I had lots of time to prepare.

Unfortunately what I wasn't ready for is that all of this stuff would start sooner - much sooner.  At the ripe old age of 7, and in second grade, I am faced with a child in tears:


      "I didn't eat lunch today because I didn't have anyone to sit next to.  There is this 'popular' table and I just don't get invited to sit there."

      "No one plays with me at recess, they called me a baby for having pigtails in my hair today."

      "The girls were all coming up with silly names for each other and two of them said mine is 'fatty' and it made me feel really sad."

What? This is happening in 2nd grade? Did I miss something?  Yes, I know, kids are cruel, they will find ways to put others down, but in today's day and age of eliminating bullying - why does it seem to me that it is happening to the younger population.  And where are these kids learning these behaviors? That it is okay and acceptable to use derogatory terms to label other kids - haven't we continued to teach the golden rule?????
 
        DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU'D HAVE DONE TO YOU

Because in this house there are two major things that I repeat over and over again - treat others as you'd like to be treated - AND - if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.  No, my kids aren't perfect, and frankly in my own four walls they can't handle doing this to each other.  But in public and towards other children, we go out of our way to reprimand the moments that they aren't following these basic rules.  Isn't everyone else too?

Yes, I know that our kids re going to get picked on.  Cassie is like a mini-me, and I can recall all to well being called fat, chunky, chubby, and fluffy.  And hopefully I can teach her to have the strength to tell someone that what she is saying to her is not nice and it hurts feelings.  That she can have the strength to tell someone not to take her library book away from her.  That she can have the strength to know that she can be the better person by smiling back or turning the the other way.  She is a beautiful, caring, compassionate young lady and hopefully the reinforcement she gets from her moms will help her to be empowered enough to stand up for her amazing self and for those around her who don't feel like they have the confidence to do the same.

I am posting the photos from our dance costume try-on's tonight, a stressful part of dance as Cassie was not feeling so confident in her body or in her dancing abilities after today's school events.  Hopefully the more she hears the good things, she will gain the confidence to know that she is a special young lady.

My goofy girl - tap costume

These are going to be cute for their tap song

Brooklyn showing off her costume for the Lilo and Stitch Hula song

Brooklyn showing off her costume for her Lilo and Stitch Hula song

Look out!!

Cassie in her Jazz costume (shake your tail feathers from Chicken Little) and Brooklyn in her ballet costume (The Cinderella song where the mice are making her dress)