Remember when you were a kid and lost your 1st tooth? Going around and showing everyone you lost it. Or when you got that great present for Christmas and made sure everyone saw how cool it was. How about your 1st date? You told all your girlfriends/boyfriends about it and made sure you looked smooth. You know what you were doing all those times? You were trying to fit in.
That’s what most people want to do. Fit in. They want to be accepted by their peers. As we grow older its easier but for kids, it’s the hardest thing ever.
There are so many variables to be able to fit in within a certain group or “clique”. Its either clothes, hair, friends, grades, where you lived, what sports you’re in, what clubs you’re in, etc. that make where you fit in. And if you don’t fit in well the alternative is getting picked on. That something everyone wants to avoid.
In today’s world kids have more ways of getting picked on than ever before. With the advent of the internet and cell phones kids are attacked 24/7 and never get away from it. Where before most kids could go home and get away from the bullying for a while, that is no longer an option. Can you imagine the pressure this creates? The pressure to make sure you fit in?
So when you see a child or teenager doing something out of the usual, try to understand. Try to realize what they are doing. Yes, tell them that being themselves is the best course and, eventually, they will figure that out. Until then just try to let them fit in.
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