“I wish we could all get along like we used to. I wish I could bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy.”

Something weird  happened this year in my 5th Grade classroom.  I had some girls that actually WANTED to go to the principal's office.

My 11 year-old student, we'll call her Nelly (chosen purposely based on the antagonistic Nelly of Little House on the Prairie fame) asked if she could go see the principal.  I asked her,  "What about?".

She wouldn't tell me, she just said, "I just need to talk to her".

I explained to Nelly she needed to tell me her reason before I would send her.  Again, she refused to tell me.  I should tell you that this girl was not a stranger to the principal's office.  She'd been summoned there more than once this year based on parent requests regarding "bullying" and good 'ol Girl Drama.

After more back-and-forth between the two of us-- me reiterating my stance that I am the "gateway" to the principals office and Nelly firmly standing her ground with her silence,  she left that day in tears.

(Please note: at one point I even told her that if the issue was with me she could share and I would not get angry but I needed to know before it was addressed with the principal.)

After school I went down and relayed the incident to my principal.  She told me that several 5th-Grade girls, including Nelly, had attempted to come see her during lunch recess.  The secretaries had taken my same stance and asked the girls to "talk to their teacher first".

I was shocked!  Who WANTS to go to the principal!?!

Then it dawned on me.  IT'S ABOUT THE DRAMA!!!!  Talking to your teacher isn't nearly enough of a production!  It's down-right boring... been there - done that.  We already know how that goes... a 5 minute convo that ends in hand-shakes or hugs and promises to forgive, forget, and move on.  Short, sweet, and to the point?  Pah-leeeze!  Where's the theatrics in that?

I know girl drama is not a new-age concept.  However, I have noticed it getting worse and worse and happening between younger and younger girls.  I saw it when I taught 3rd grade (8 year-olds) and I have teacher friends reporting it as young as 6 years-old.

Sheesh!  Do we have the Kardashians and Honey Boo Boo to blame for this?  Has hair-pulling, name-calling fame become the end-all, be-all of female Right-of-Passage? Have these little girls discovered that attention is rewarded for this drama and the bigger the better?

If so, heaven help me.