What are we doing to those little girls? STOP!

            I will admit when I go out, I want to look my best. And I would assume that most people would agree with me. I put on make up, fix my hair, dress a little nicer and feel confident walking into whatever bar or hang out my friends and I have chosen to attend. I'm an adult. That's what I chose to do. I work out because it's what I feel I need to do.
            However, in my classroom I see very young girls some below the age of five who think that if they aren't wearing make up and don't have the right clothes that they're "ugly". When did we teach our children that wearing make up and having the "right" clothes made you beautiful. When I go to work I usually have sweat pants and a t shirt on so I can actually be involved in the classroom. I usually have very little make up on and my hair is never perfect. But these little girls compare themselves like peacocks (yes I know the beautiful peacocks are male but still) proudly boasting around the room at what they have that others do not.
They viciously call each other ugly and even make each other cry because they truly feel if that one person thinks I'm ugly then I must be.
          And sadly what brought this to my attention is that while I was trying to talk calmly with a student who was angry with me for one reason or another the child decided I was ugly. She called me every word she could think of for ugly and it didn't bother me, I told her that she can think that she is entitled to think I am ugly and I will not try to tell her otherwise she has an opinion like everyone else. But another child was really hurt by this. She came running over almost in tears and said "Ms. Single girl is not ugly!!!!!!! She just isn't wearing her make up today.... that's why you think that, isn't that right..." WHAT? Seriously.... am I supposed to agree with this? Am I supposed to make one child feel better by admitting that I am ugly because I didn't wear makeup? NO!
           I tried explaining to this child that you don't need make up to be beautiful or pretty or any other term in the dictionary. I told her I did not want to wear my make up because it was a rainy day and that's OK you don't have to wear make up all the time. Her response? "Well, you should always wear lip gloss..." and she skipped off.
         I am all for girls being cute, and I'm OK with girls being girlie and wanting to be princesses although myself never really wanted that. But to teach our children that they're only pretty or beautiful when they're covered in make up and "perfectly dressed" is ridiculous. We're raising girls who read Cosmo and trust me though I like the adds the advice they give are definitely not what "smart girls" or "real guys" actually want or need. They give the worst advice. But even flipping through the pages make up is everywhere with women who are super skinny covered in tons of make up and actually seem glamorous. We're raising girls to wear shorter and shorter skirts and tiny tight tops and wonder why pedophiles lurk around every corner? Don't even get me started on string bikinis for a toddlers!
        I've been called shallow, I've been called a lot of things actually. But beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I've dated men who other's agreed he was attractive and I've dated men who other's thought "really... what in the hell is she thinking..." but I'm not five! I'm not at home throwing up my lunch of carrots and fat free dressing because I feel like a pig. I'm just disappointed in society's labels and what society has served our children on a silver platter.
         Just so everyone knows.... there is a slight ray of hope. The prettiest girl in my class could care less about make up or fancy clothes. She has heart and character and her mother raised her right...

"You are beautiful no matter what they say!"