Surviving Embarrassment

I CAN'T Believe That Just Happened!

In the Stained Glass Tree, Jilly finds herself in plenty of embarrassing situations, but perhaps the worst is when she goes to her first dance and Brianna "accidentally" spills punch on Jilly's new dress - then she slips and falls in the punch! This just absolutely crushes her spirits and ruins her memory of the dance! She leaves the dance, hides out on the football field, and she nearly lets the moment come between her friendship with Anton and Trina.

Jilly is still learning that EVERYONE has embarrassing moments, but she is really struggling to get past them. That's because when you're embarrassed, you feel like everyone is watching, they're going to remember it forever, and it might be the worst possible thing that could ever happen.

Well, with few exceptions, not everyone is going to know about it. And remember, it won’t be long before people who do know forget about it because everyone is worried about their own stuff (and that makes yours yesterday’s news, and quite boring). That’s one of the consistent things about middle and high school.

So what can you do when something really embarrassing happens to you?

Keep it R.E.A.L.

R. Remember. Remember that people forget, but only if you let them! People REALLY will not remember it forever, but you can't keep bringing it up either, so stop giving it attention!

E. Endure. Endure the embarrassing moment. It really stinks when something embarrassing happens to you, and it will take time for people to forget about it, but you will get through it! It WILL get better.

A. Act. Act like you are not bothered by it. Sometimes this is called "fake it 'til you make it," and it's when you decide that something that really bothers you isn't going to bother you anymore. This can help when someone keeps trying to upset or embarrass you, but they're not really breaking any rules so you can't do anything about it. This also helps when the embarrassment is fresh and really stings, but as time goes on, feelings eventually wear off!

If the thing bothering you is dangerous, threatening, or scary, DO NOT act. You need to talk to an adult about how to handle it!

L. Laugh / Let Go. Embarrassing moments will happen. Getting past those moments can be very difficult in middle school. Learning how to survive them is a really important part of life because they don't end in middle school. Learning how to laugh them off or let them go can help us feel better about ourselves and move forward!

It's important to remember that everyone goes through these moments, but learning how to Keep it R.E.A.L. takes time and practice! Luckily, we all have embarrassing moments to give us lots of practice! If your embarrassing moment involves really hurtful words, threats, or cyber-bullying, it is ALWAYS important to let a trustworthy adult know! In the meantime, Keep it R.E.A.L.!

Click here to learn more about Middle School Misfits: The Stained Glass Tree.

For more blogs from author Leona Lugan visit https://www.middleschoolmisfits.com/.