There’s so much in the news these days about bullies, cliques and kids terrorizing other kids via text messages or Facebook. And girls are just as much to blame for this as boys. Girls can be mean, and when they are mean, they’re mean to each other. Do mean girls grow up to be mean women? Do we need to help our girls understand what being kind looks like anymore? At SMARTY we are so lucky to have this supportive community of women (no gossip, no competitiveness, no cliques), but when you’re in 8th grade, in high school, in college…all bets are off. I’m so happy to welcome two women into the SMARTY community who aim to change all this. Lauren Parsekian and Molly Stroud made a film called Finding Kind set to be released this September. Check out the site and the mission. www.kindcampaign.com Let’s see how we can help them grow their message so that no girl is left crying in a bathroom….or worse….ever again.
Browse Timeline
Comments ( 9 )
Being kind is more important than being right! In today’s society, it seems that meanness is everywhere — on the roads and parking lots, at stores, at schools, and at work. Being kind means taking the high road, lifting people up rather than tearing them down, and being a true friend. It does not mean you have to be rolled over by other people. It is still important to set boundaries. But just because there are other mean people doesn’t mean we have to stoop to being mean. Even if you are the only person who knows the value of kindness, give yourself credit for being kind. Especially to other women and girls! We are sisters and need to be there for each other. This is a wonderful topic. Please share! Teri Sawyer
Teri added these words on
Jun 09 10 at
12:46 PM
Teri I so agree. We all have the opportunity on a daily basis to be kinder to someone else
than another person may have been to us. It starts an incredible ripple effect—exactly
what the KIND campaign sets out to do.
Amy added these words on
Jun 09 10 at
12:50 PM
I remember how painful it was being ridiculed, alienated and bullied in school. I believe these memories have hindered me from making meaningful friendships with women through out my adult life.
I pledge to never make someone else feel the same way I did. I pledge to be KIND to everyone I encounter. More importantly, I pledge to stand up for those who are afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kindly,
Megan
Megan Connor added these words on
Jun 09 10 at
2:37 PM
Kindness is the true strength of someone’s character. It is easy to be kind when things are going right, the test is when the shit hits the fan, can you still keep your cool?
Why as women is so often our instinct to tear other women down? Judge what they wear, criticize their choices, we only do ourselves the disservice. I am just has guilty, I have found myself bonding over gossip. Why does that connect us?
I am super psyched about what these women are doing. Hugely inspiring on so many levels. I have my own work to do. It is a nice reminder.
Tasha Oldham added these words on
Jun 09 10 at
6:16 PM
I love the KIND campaign! I too got a lot of grief, both as a child and even as a grown woman. When I walked into my first SMARTY event, I felt like I’d finally found my tribe. We’re all about being supportive of one another – and it’s so great that Lauren & Molly of the KIND campaign are now part of our organization. Together let’s all start spreading the word about how vital it is that woman be supportive of one another!
All the very best to every single one of you -
XOXO Marty
Marty Stevens-Heebner added these words on
Jun 09 10 at
6:33 PM
I silently made the Kind pledge in 7th grade as girls I believed to be my friends turned into a vicious pack. I knew then I would never cause another girl that kind of agony… I am still saddened at the cruelty of girls on a mission to harm one another. We are sisters, we must support one another, from the weakest on out…
Amy added these words on
Jun 09 10 at
6:50 PM
Being kind can take on so many different forms. For a young girl, it can mean sharing a toy or lunch. For a teenager, it can be befriending the new kid in school or standing up for the timid kid everyone pokes fun of. As a woman, kindness means something different to me. It means letting other women stand (or cry) on my shoulders; it means helping other women in need and sharing my resources; it means refraining from judgment; it means respecting other women (their physical appearances, their marriages, their children and their career choices). It means taking the high road when someone does me wrong and offering forgiveness when they seek it.
I am so grateful that the women of the Kind Campaign have brought this issue to light. No one of us is perfect when it comes to kindness, but if we don’t each take personal responsibility for stopping the problem, the issues that plagued us as young girls will continue to torment us as women. We all deserve better. So we all can do more.
Whitney added these words on
Jun 09 10 at
7:48 PM
Wow, all of these comments are incredible. Being one of the founders of Kind Campaign, I cannot thank SMARTY enough for posting about us, but also for each one of the women who has commented. You have nearly brought me to tears because of all of the positive energy and KINDness that is occurring throughout these comments. I agree with everything each one of you said, and it brings me such hope to see these kind words being exchanged between women. Because like Megan said, what happens to us when we are young women definitely affects the way that we treat ourselves and other women in our adult life. Thank you for taking the KIND pledge, and changing the way females treat one another… we are lucky to be a part of SMARTY where we can see first hand what an incredible environment KINDness creates.
Molly added these words on
Jun 10 10 at
7:32 PM
It happened to my child, he was blackmailed by his classmate. She threaten to tell the teacher about cheating, but my son told me and we went to headmaster. The girl was expended.
So the point is that children should ask for help from their parents or elder brothers.
term paper added these words on
Sep 02 10 at
5:32 AM
