Bullying may not be as widespread as it once was, but there is no disputing that it is still a severe issue. Certainly, as a culture, we’re a lot less tolerant of bullying than people were in the past, but it doesn’t mean we’re near to eradicating it… far from it.
Bullying is still prevalent in almost every aspect of life, from schools to friend circles, sports teams to professional jobs. The most heartbreaking element of bullying is when it impacts young kids, who don’t know how to handle it and believe the name and acts of others seriously.
Nicole O’Shea, a mom who published a blog about how her 9-year-old girl became a target, is one parent who understands all about the tragic repercussions of bullying.
Nicole expressed that her daughter is nine. Nine years old and already knowing what it’s like to have her heart shattered by the world’s meanness. She is already aware of how it feels to have her friends remark on her body, face, clothes, and family.
She’s been labelled “too dumb,” “too obese,” “too ugly,” “too poor,” “too loud,” “too huggy,” “too crazy,” and “too dirty.” She was not invited because she is not attractive, thin, joyful, humorous, or well-liked enough.
Those remarks don’t bother the mom since she understands they’re false. She understands her girl is sufficient. What bothers the mom is how damaged her child is as a result of those statements. What irritates the mom is how the child listens to the critics of the world rather than her mother, who knows her best.
And it is for this reason, to all the wonderful people out there, that one must learn to love themselves.
She further expressed that these infants are keeping an eye on us. They are learning to love themselves by observing how we love themselves. They can’t hear us when we say there are enough since they are too busy hearing us say we are not.
She resolved to eliminate self-hatred from her life. She pledged to always start enjoying who and what she is. She will love herself. Since the only way she can teach her daughter to love herself is for her, the mom loves herself first.
Nicole also requested parents to envision their kids in the same scenario, as well as the pain and anguish that might entail.
If this affected you in some way, she understands it’s because you’re envisioning your own children and the challenges they’ve faced. She is a single mother with one daughter, and their experience is not unusual. It’s a story about every mom and the daughters she raises.
However they are not here to indulge in sorrow. They’re here to instill confidence and resilience in their children. With that in mind, she would like to hear from moms, aunties, grandmothers, teachers, and all the ladies who have small girls looking up to them…
She wants you to imagine that tiny lady you’re shaping and promise her right now that you’re going to start loving yourself the way you want her to love herself.
The world would be a considerably happier place to live if we could completely eliminate bullying, and we should all work together to make that a reality.
Nicole, we stand with you and your daughter, as we do with all individuals who have ever been humiliated or made to feel less than because of bullies.
