What it's Like to Be a Girl
by Cleo Cole, Cleo Greenberg, Billie Littman, Violet Rebolledo, Emma, Maddy
In this article we talk about the hardships of being a 7th grade girl and what it’s like to be one.
Part 1
Being a girl is a lot harder than it looks. First we have the problem of insecurity. There are specific beauty standards. Some girls like me wish they had a smaller waist and bigger boob. Some girls even try to change their bodies in unhealthy ways. And don’t get me started on that time of the month. Some girls are so ashamed of it that they will try to hide it. Even though it is totally normal. Girls should be ashamed of their bodies and some girls look at models or influencers and they want that body even if they are all photoshopped. Studies even show that 7 in 10 girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with family and friends. One time I got home from school and I was disgusted with what I saw thinking that my stomach was too big. I tried to go on a diet and do a workout even though I knew that it wouldn't do anything.
Part 2
Our clothes are not an invitation, Just because we wear something that any other gender can wear makes others have this mind set that they can do or touch something that they can’t. Just because we wear something that might be inviting to you just know that it's not. We shouldn't be forced to change what we wear because other people choose to think about things in that way. One time I was just hanging out at the school with my friends and some other kids from a different school was hanging out outside in the front, I had to go pass them to get something and when I was coming back I was told by one of my friends moms that was waiting to pick up their kid that one of the kids were talking about my chest. When that was told to me I felt so uncomfortable. The point is that we have to go through and deal with people having these thoughts, some we don't even know about and that thought is unsettling. So try to be a girl.
Part 3
Being a girl is really tough, and it may not seem that way but it’s true!! People expect us to be flawless and perfect, and guys, oh right because guys will just be guys. But us girls have to be perfect, look perfect, act perfect. And to be honest. It’s bs! I don’t have much experience (Period, big boobs, rape, etc etc.) You feel like people are always staring at you. In disgust, in awe. In all different ways and it makes you feel comfortable! In the words of Lala Sadii she said something that made a big impact on me.
“You want the girl with the perfect hair, the perfect face, the perfect body, but you need to remember she can’t be obese and she can’t be anorexic. She needs to be PERFECT. Perfect isn’t a word, perfect doesn’t exist, no one is perfect.”
What do I think about this? How do I relate? I am a girl, almost a teenager, so I can relate in some ways, I can’t relate in all ways, but some I can! Most girls think when they look at social media, “why don’t I look like “them”? How can I get these clothes to look more like “them” “They're so perfect, I need to look like them,” “Why do I look like this,” “I want that perfect boyfriend,” and so on. Then you try to make yourself look like them. For example plastic surgery, some of this can be really dangerous. It's harder than it looks being a girl. You have to dress right, and people tell you what to wear, and dress code of course. The majority of people that get dress code are women, because we are wearing tank tops and we get dress-coded even though guys are also wearing tank tops, we get dress-coded for crop tops. And everything a boy can get dress coded for but they don’t only do. You need to redo and redo your makeup until it looks just right, to the point where you just wipe it all off. Remember when we say it’s hard being a girl, it is!
Part 4
Being a girl is tough. Especially in middle school. Drama, sexuality, shame, emotions, friends, grades, family, bodies, insecurities, everything. Especially sexuality. People are always asking you “omg who’s your crush? I bet he’s so hot” or my grandma saying, “Do you have a boyfriend yet? You must get all the boys!” or my younger cousins asking “Do you have a boyfriend yet???”. I know all of this is normal family and relative stuff to ask. But I can’t help feeling ashamed that I don't like boys… Only my close family knows. But I hope once my other family or friends find out that they'll be able to accept me. It’s hard having to act like I like a gender that I dont around unclose family members. Living up to the stereotypes of having to like the other gender when you don’t is one of the hardest parts of being a girl for some people.