Look, I get what she was coming from... this isn't one of those whiney "can you believe the shocking insensitivity" posts.
(Note: there are too many of those. There is entirely too much outrage on the Internet. Let's all just dial it back and stop making easily offended into a virtue.)
Even though it is the most expected thing in the world, it is so surprising when a kid stops looking like a kid. And it's a little scary when you're the parent of a little kid to see how soon that little kid look stops. Surprises me, and I see the kid every day.
Laney hit puberty on the young side of normal - whatever normal is. And while I don't claim to remember childhood with startling clarity, I (like pretty much everyone walking the earth) remember hitting puberty. Puberty was like:
Or this:
A lot of this:
And a steady stream of this:
Because, puberty?
I wish there were some way to make Laney see how amazing her body is. I can't persuade her that her long, strong legs and beautiful, changing face are amazing. She's just too much in the middle of the shitstorm that is puberty. She wants to hide underneath hoodies and long pants and can't stand for her picture to be taken because she's so uncomfortable with how she looks.
My beautiful girl!
Sigh, this too shall pass. But in the meantime, Puberty?
