"Sticks and Stones May Break my Bones... "

"...but words can never hurt me." It's a popular saying that I heard over and over growing up. Whenever I would come home from school feeling down about a classmate's hurtful remark or when I'd hear one of my siblings lamenting about an insult he or she had received from a "friend" that day, my mom would always be quick to remind us that words were harmless. We were taught to "be the bigger person" and just ignore the snarky comments of our peers. However it was never that easy... and it still isn't that easy! I still get my feelings hurt from time to time when I overhear someone making fun of my outfit or criticizing the actions of one of my friends. The truth is that words can hurt. Sometimes a cutting remark can hurt even worse than a physical attack. This is especially true if the remark is coming from a friend or other trusted source. Oftentimes we don't think before we speak and our comments can have devastating effects. It's easy to take a person's words to heart, whether or not they are truthful or simply said in the heated moment of an argument or disagreement. I think part of the reason stems from the inherent human desire to be accepted by one's peers. No one wants to be the target of someone's barbed comments in the same way that no one wants to be isolated from the group. This is especially important to consider as a future teacher. I'm sure I will see many cases of children being verbally bullied or ostracized by their peers. It is important to bring children's attentions to the potentially harmful effects of their words and comments, and to offer support for those who get their feelings hurt.