mean girls

We had a major milestone yesterday--the twins voted in their first presidential election! Well, maybe mom and dad officially voted, but B&F were excited to be part of the experience. They even got an Election 2012 Barbie to commemorate the occasion. And while standing in line to vote, we had another first...Frances's first encounter with "mean girls." Here's what went down:

Lady: "How old are your boys?" 

 Me: "It's a boy and a girl, and they are 14 months." 

Lady: "You really need to dress her in more pink." (Note that Frances was wearing denim leggings, a shirt that said Frances, and pink shoes.) 

Me: "I think she's okay."

Lady: "No, she should wear more pink so she won't look like a boy." 

Approximately three minutes later, lady is talking loudly to the woman next to her while staring at Frances. 

Lady: "Well I guess she does have on pink shoes, but I can't believe she is dressed that way. Girls should only wear dresses. She looks like a boy. Etc., etc., etc." 

At this point, I may have made a rude comment about how a person wearing a t-shirt, frayed jeans, and a "windbreaker" tied around her waist should probably not be handing out fashion advice.

 I have never been more thankful that my children understand very few words. When did it become acceptable to berate a small child (or her mother) over what she was wearing? Anyone who watches the news knows that our country is in the throes of a bullying crisis. Countless teens have committed suicide due to the actions of their classmates. We wonder why things have gotten so bad, why kids believe it's okay to treat others so poorly. We should really be looking at ourselves. Children mirror the behavior they see. If they see adults making fun of others, they will surely follow suit.

While I know Frances had no idea what was going on as she shook her little booty in line, I couldn't keep myself from reminding her of how beautiful she was, both inside and out.  I hope that I, as a mom, can help keep her inner beauty bright by modeling kind behavior.  I pray that I can keep my tongue in check, teaching my little ones to always lift up and never tear down.