"You're Fat!"

"you're fat!"

That is what one of the boys in Mack's class told her on friday. I found out this morning, because she didn't want to go to school today.

All children are teased at some point, so I've been preparing myself for the day that I would have to console her and help her through something hurtful that some one has said. To be honest, I expected her to be teased about the way she dresses, or her hair. That would make sense. I mean, she wears boys underwear, for goodness sake!
Yet, she has never been teased about her clothes. In fact, the whole class came to her defense earlier this year when a substitute teacher was unkind to her.

How do 6 and 7 year old boys get so mean about weight? How do they know that it is one of the surest ways to cut someone down? So, here is my skinny (and I mean I can count her ribs through her shirt skinny), little 7 year old standing in front of a mirror, questioning her body image.

Ultimately, I guess I'm glad it happened at such a young age, when what her family thinks and says is still more important than what that boy thinks. Now, I know the reality of what girls are up against. Somehow, I was hoping it had changed in the past 10 years. But it hasn't.
Now, we can tackle this head on, and we will. The first thing I did, was send an email to her teacher. He is fantastic, and I'm sure that he will address the issue with the class in a gentle and nonjudgmental way. At home, we will continue to talk about healthy choices, and how to deal with meanness in general.