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The Day My Daughter Silenced Her Bullies

My daughter was very active in 4-H.

It started off innocently enough; she wanted to raise a lamb. We investigated the 4-H program to find a club she could learn about livestock, and where I could make this happen for her. We found a club that allowed the kids to keep their animals at the farm.

The first year, she was not allowed to have a large livestock animal, being how she was new to all this. But she was allowed to keep chickens there, and soon we had rabbits at home.

Unfortunately, while the first year was pleasant and rewarding, the second year quickly turned sour. I will never understand why some adults find pleasure in bullying a child. The kids you can sort out, as this happens. My daughter, though, never had any problems with the kids.

It was the adults, the other 4-Her’s mothers, who were nasty to her.

She was an agreeable, non-assuming child that always smiled and tried to help out. She was only 10 years old at the time. Things were fine at first but started turning rough with these ‘adults’ after her first fair season. By the second fair season, it became unbearable. Why? Because my happy daughter had a knack with animals and the whole showing scene.

She always swept the awards.

Grand Champion Large Fowl, Reserve Champion Large Fowl, Best in Show Rabbit, Second Reserve in Show Market Goat, Grand Champion Pheasant, blue-ribbon presentations, and Grand Champion Visual Arts. That was at the county fair. Outside of that, she was taking the east coast by storm with her rabbits in the American Rabbit Breeders Association shows.

Anyone could have been proud to have such a 4-Her in their club, but not this group of mothers. They were always making trouble for her in an underhanded, high school, ‘mean girl clique’ sort of way. Once, I threw a birthday party for her at the farm, which was always busy with 4-Hers caring for their animals. Everyone was invited to come, no gifts were necessary, just show up, have fun, and eat food. I made it easy. The whole farm was mysteriously empty and quiet that afternoon. The only guest there was her market goat. This is what we had to deal with.

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