A Facebook friend linked to this August post on the Pigtail Pals blog, entitled "Waking Up Full of Awesome." If you're a mom of a little girl go read it now:
http://blog.pigtailpals.com/2011/08/waking-up-full-of-awesome/
I totally remember being young and thinking I was invincible.
The first person to tell me I wasn't was actually not a mean girl but a teacher. The mean girls soon followed suit, wearing down my self-confidence, and the media kept the erosion going. Middle school... high school... it's not all easy.It's been a long road back to awesome, and there are still days I totally doubt myself. And other days where I feel confident and sometimes even a little - dare I say? - awesome. Really.
My own daughter just turned 11 at the end of last month. Most days, she is still convinced of her own awesomeness. Which is good. Hard for the mom, maybe, but a good thing for her. But sixth grade is a hard year to hold on to the "awesome." I think we all need to be aware and remember just how hard it can be to be that age. Or any age.
I want her to hold on to that awesome as long as possible. Or forever.
Great post. First of all, I'm a teacher, and it's hard to hear that a teacher was the first person to take away some of your awesome. I'm also the father of 2 awesome girls, 8 and 10, and I worry a lot about their self-esteem. I remember my sister changing when she hit middle school, and while I know there will be rocky days, like you, I hope they can hold on to that awesome to get them through. It's a daunting task, but I'll do my best to help them. Thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest is ten - fifth grade. I try to remind her how awesome she is every single day.
ReplyDeleteMine are 19 and 20 and they still hold on to their awesomeness
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