5yo PreK "mean girl"

[pigpokey]

There's an adorable, smart little girl in our extended family who really gets my kids' goat.  She attacks physically and in more subtle ways and when the older kids react they typically get into trouble, while she rarely does. 

Advise please.  I think DD 7 needs to learn how to react to neutralize her now.

[MomtoDandJ]

We have a similar situation with a 5yo "mean girl" at my son's school. I found I got the best results by talking directly to my son. I explained to him that the girl (I'll call her Piper) sometimes makes bad decisions and says things or does things that aren't correct. I told my son that when Piper says something that hurts his feeling, he should say directly to her "Piper, that was not a nice thing that you did/said. Please leave me alone" and then he walks away. I think he finds having something to say very empowering because his mood around her has dramatically improved. And I like that he's learning to stand up for himself using only his words.

Good luck!

[TheSneetch]

We have a similar girl in our family. She is not physical but verbally mean. Our rule is that you can tell someone to treat you nicely and if not then you can choose to not play with them. However, you may not be mean back. Giving my DD the choice to not play if the child continues has been very empowering for her. Also, she has learned how to tell someone to knock it off without being mean. I think her confidence has grown. Unfortunately, the parents NEVER correct the child. It is really quite sad. Good luck.