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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Stop calling an 8 year old a "mean girl", it sounds like she was just your typical blunt 8 year old. Maybe the other parents are upset because you have been talking to other families at the school about their daughter and calling her a mean girl? Maybe you're the bully here, OP, picking on an 8 year old!!![/quote]

Stop infantilizing an 8 year old. This is the age where kids need frequent reinforcement about appropriate social behavior, or they will develop the behaviors that become a nightmare in the middle school years. There are a set of "relational aggression" behaviors that start in elementary school and need to be called out specifically, and explained as to why they are a problem, or you get the mean girl cliques in middle.

When 8 year olds engage in behaviors like excluding and one-upmanship, you need to explain to them why those are antisocial behaviors and give them examples of better ways to interact. You can't baby them. This is important to learn. Also, if you freak out when someone calls your child's behavior "mean", instead of talking it out and being willing to take criticism and make an adjustment, all they learn is to get really defensive and dig in their heels whenever anyone criticizes their behavior.

If your response to someone calling out their behavior is "okay, I can see how that was hurtful, I'm sorry and  we'll talk about it at home and do better next time," your kid learns that getting a social interaction wrong is not the end of the world and it's okay to just apologize and try not to offend in the same way next time. It doesn't have to be a referendum on your entire personality.[/quote]

BUT YOU DON'T CALL THEM MEAN GIRLS. [/quote]

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