Raising Girls

Raising girls is hard.....I don't care who you are or what you say, it's hard.  It is so hard to know just the right thing to say, just the right thing to do, and all the things NOT to say or do.  Girls can be vicious.  We all know that girls have a tendency to wear their feelings on their sleeves anyway, and other girls play off of that. 

We have had some issues in our house lately with other girls (in case you couldn't tell).  I really struggle as a mom with this.  I know the "right" answer is to encourage my girls to turn the other cheek and follow the Golden Rule.  That is the RIGHT and Christlike thing to do when someone is mean.  The very human part of me gets really angry at anyone who would intentionally hurt someone I love. 

Don't get me wrong....my girls are by no means perfect.  I certainly hold them accountable for their actions, and I would be really upset with them if I EVER found out that they treated others this way.  So, this is not a case of me seeing my own children through rose-colored glasses. 

But, I have seen others be really malicious recently with my own eyes, and it makes me angry.  It makes me want to say something to the child, the parents, the principal, anyone who will listen and FIX it.  You know, bullying comes in many forms.  For some, it is very physical.  It can be cyberbullying.  I have a tendency to call this "social" bullying....intentionally leaving others out, alienating them from social groups, belittling them in front of peers, just plain ole' being mean.  A "side effect" of this has been that the child then does not want to participate in any extra activities that involve the one who is bullying. 

These situations make me sad because I see the emotional toll it takes on the girls.  They cry at the drop of hat over little things that normally would not bother them.  They become very easily overwhelmed.  They don't want to go to school anymore.  I see ways that this is changing them, and I want them to remain the joyful young ladies that they are.

So, as a mom, how do I protect my girls without hiding them away completely from the meanness of this world?  I want to raise them as strong, independent young women who can fight their own battles and handle their own situations.  But, I also want them to maintain a reasonable amount of innocence that is appropriate to their ages.  It seems like this has started so much younger than when I first had to deal with it, and it makes me sad for them.  I want them to stand up for themselves and not be door mats, but I want them to handle themselves as Jesus would call them to behave.  Is that wanting to have my cake and eat it too?

Raising girls is hard.  I pray daily for my girls, for their peers, for their teachers, and for anyone else who comes in contact with them.  That is the best thing I know to do.