Mean Girls. Funny movie, terrible reality.
It may be easy enough to enjoy the film once youre no longer in school and subject to vicious teenage callousness. But what if the mean girl mentality follows you into adulthood...and right into your neighborhood.
What do you do when the mean girl lives next door?
"Bullying is supposed to be a junior high thing, but everyone knows it doesnt always end when childhood does," said Jezebel." So how do you handle the petty, pretentious neighbor whos making your life pretty awful?
Here are some tips to enduring, overcoming and shutting her down.
Kill her with kindness. A bully may just be looking for someone to butter her up. And as unappealing as that sounds, if a few compliments, a bone for her dog, a neighborly lawn mow, and maybe even an offer to pick her kids up from school help, well, maybe its worth it. Just dont turn yourself from her punching bag into her personal slave.
Laugh it off. "Take the fun out of their bullying and let them know it doesnt affect you," said Little Rock Family. "When the mean girl or boy says something that they hope will get under our skin, shrug it off and smile. Your confidence will catch them off guard and they will notice that they are having no impact on you."
Talk it out. "While it can be difficult, the first thing you should try is to talk to the adult bully," said Psych Central. "Attempt to work out differences in a calm, rational way. It is possible for people to change if they realize others are since>
Avoid her. It might be a hassle to try to adjust your schedule, your route through the neighborhood, or even your daily habits to try to avoid someone who is making your life unpleasant. But it may be just the break you need. You want to "ignore and try to avoid the big bully when possible," said Little Rock Family. "With no audience to impress, a prime bully situation may be diffused quickly."
Elicit the support of neighbors. Theres power in numbers, and a bully may be compelled to back down if you can show her that you have neighborhood support on your side. "Having someone on your side to stand up for you shows the bully that you are not as vulnerable and alone as they hoped," said 29 Secrets. "A bully believes they can get away with their actions by intimidating their victims, so if you show them you are not scared, they will back off."
Stand up to her. Of course, if gritting your teeth and sucking up to someone whos making your life unpleasant is just too much, you can always do the opposite: be meaner. It probably wont make you feel very good about yourself, but it may make her take a step back.
Move. Life is just too short to be miserable. If theres no way to make the situation better or if you are finding yourself feeling alone and depressed over it, cut your losses and go somewhere else. Yes, having to move stinks. But not as much as living everyday under the thumb of a person who makes you feel terrible about yourself.
Do you have a story about adult bullying in your neighborhood? Share your trick for dealing with it in the comments.
