Poopularity

Nat and I had an opportunity to talk this morning. It's so funny what we talk about on the way to school sometimes! She started talking about her friends, and how one seems to be overly obsessed with being "popular". So, I asked her, "Who gets to decide who's popular?" She sat there a minute, and said, "well, I don't really know."

"So, if no one knows, then how do you know who is and who isn't?" I asked her innocently. "Well, I guess it's the outgoing kids....some of them get into trouble." High school was a long time ago for me, but some things never change. I just had to keep asking her until she realized what she was saying.

"So, Nat, who decides that "popular" means "outgoing" and "troublemaker?"
"uhhh, I don't really know," she admitted.
"Well, Nat, I would say kids should focus on being well-liked" instead of "popular" because that doesn't seem to be a very positive thing in this situation."
Then Natalie delivered her punchline, "Mom, I'm popular. It's just that no one knows it yet."

She's so wicked funny sometimes!

I love her attitude, because I can see that she's a bit like I was in school. I didn't let people tell me who I was! Even when I did do things with the so-called popular kids, I usually left early because I didn't like the way I felt around them. When they wanted to go out and smash mailboxes, I did the "nerdy" thing and said, "go ahead and drop me off at home." I don't know if it was confidence or stubbornness that got me through school, but I can see my girl has some of those same traits. She's going to be just fine. She keeps telling her friend that if she wants to be popular, she just has to be nicer to people! How simple is that?

We have a motto at our house and we say it in situations like this one. "Love who you are. Be who you are. Always! Nothing else will do!"

And if no one likes who you are, then go where you are liked and don't worry about it!!