School bullies picked on 6-year-old girl but weren't prepared for her comeback about 'family'
Emmie's classmates tried to belittle her in every possible way. They said, 'I don't even like you,' only to receive a surprising response.
Maren Droubay (@marendroubay), a New York mother, has raised her children well. When a group of 'mean' girls bullied Emmie, her daughter, the six-year-old refused to internalize the negativity. Instead, she fired back, teaching them a lesson wrapped in self-confidence and love. Droubay posted Emmie's reaction on March 5. The video has 6 million views on her Instagram profile so far.
Emmie's classmates tried to belittle her in every possible way. They said, 'I don't even like you,' only to receive a surprising response. Emmie didn't shout, nor did she react very aggressively. Instead, she informed her classmates that her family adores her and that she isn't seeking validation from them. "Well, guess what? My family thinks I am a princess, and I am super kind and nice," Emmie said, confronting the mean girls. "If they think that, then that's who I am. But if you don't think that, that's okay because that's what I think of myself." She told them it's all right if they don't like her because she loves herself and believes she surely is a sweet little princess, just like her family thinks. "I know who I am," Emmie added. Overwhelmed by how beautifully her daughter handled the school bullies, Droubay, the mama, confessed, "I love you." Moreover, the New York blogger said the incident assured her that she has been raising her child well. "I hope someday I can have this much confidence in myself, too," she added.
It's heartwarming to see a six-year-old exhibit such self-confidence and love, but the credit goes to her mom, who instilled that in her. Research studies have established a strong correlation between parental support and children's self-confidence. Kids with strong parental support tend to exhibit greater self-confidence and emotional regulation than those who struggle with self-doubt due to insufficient parental support. For instance, Eddie Brummelman, Stathis Grapsas, and Katinka van der Kooij experimented on 202 children between 8 and 12 years of age using virtual reality. The children were assigned a 3D trajectory-matching task; after each attempt, they were informed if they succeeded or failed.
During the experiment, the children received three types of feedback from their parents: modest, inflated, and no praise. The researchers found that children with low self-esteem who received modest praise performed better; in fact, they tried new ways and explored more after failed attempts. "Relative to no praise, modest praise — unlike inflated praise — encouraged exploration in children with lower levels of self-esteem," the study concluded. It means that being honest with kids while praising them helps build real confidence, whereas exaggerated praise can sometimes reduce confidence. Despite this, about 25% of all parental praise is inflated, meaning parents often exaggerate while praising their kids. Though well-intentioned, inflated praise doesn't help kids in the long run.
Meanwhile, netizens loved the little girl's confidence and praised her mom for fostering it in her; for instance, @utahfamilytravels commented, "That’s right. Good job, Mom. You are teaching her to value herself and see her own worth." @michele__norris wrote, "That is the product of some A-plus parenting and a village that has poured confidence into this baby girl. May we see more of this in our kids... all of our kids." Similarly, @thebushbirds wrote, "Wouldn't it be amazing if all parents talked to their children like this and they all thought they were super nice and kind? Good job; she is a sweet little princess!"
You can follow Maren Droubay (@marendroubay) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.
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