Popularity and Power

We continued our discussion this week on popularity and power. We opened with a comment left on last week's entry that said:
"As for popularity, I think that maybe sometimes parents (not mine) maybe set a bad example. Not saying that all parents do, but some parents might?"

The girls then commented on ways that parents might do this. Some thoughts were:
*Parents gossiping in front of their kids.
*Parents negatively judging others based on appearance.
*Parents giving their daughters 'hints' on how to be popular.
*Parents pressuring kids to go out and be social.
*Parents buying the 'right' things to ensure their child's popularity.
*Parents putting pressure on their child to achieve.

Other thoughts? Please leave an anonymous comment.

We also talked about how sometimes when an old friend becomes more popular, she treats you differently or ditches you in public, only to act 'normal' when no one's around. There is a book in the Pine Lake Library called, My Secret Bully that discusses this scenario, as well. Many girls shared that they have had this happen and that it's really confusing. Some admitted that they put up with it, even though they don't know why they do. At B Lunch, we talked about how to handle this. Some found that it worked best to confront the friend with a question like, "Are you trying to make me feel bad?" or even a direct, "What's your problem?" Sometimes it works and the friend stops the inconsistent behavior and sometimes it doesn't work. But the point is, at least you stood up to the person, showing your own strength, regardless of the response.

So what we want to know is:
*Has this happened to you?
*How did you handle it?
*What was the outcome?

Remember, this has happened to many, many girls. It's a tough thing to go through, but please know that you're not alone.

Be strong, Sister!