I was visiting with a mother of one of the student's in my oldest's Kindergarten class when she shared "watch out for third grade." I asked what she meant and she said the girls start getting mean and clicks start emerging. She advised to get to know all the parents and start talking to one another because as she put it "I want to know if my daughter is ever the mean girl." "You'd tell me right?" I told her yes. I thought to myself, third grade? What in the world. She went on to explain, as well as one of the teachers, that hormones start and kids start getting more and more a sense of self and the comparisons start and peer pressure, I suppose. Knowing their friends and knowing what is on their minds, even in elementary school, sets up a great conversation line for future situations. I want my oldest to hold her own and have her own confidence, not look to clique groups to give that sense of identity to her.
Check out these offerings for schools trying to reach elementary students about peer pressure and their brain. Let's protect them and help them protect themselves.
