"Oh look, there goes Little Miss Goody Goody!" was a sentence that I was no stranger to hearing in junior high. If you've been labeled "the good girl," you can probably relate to this. It seems that schools are notorious for shaming "good girls." We were held to higher standards, but we were also teased for it. People expected nothing short of the best. I was expected to always have perfect grades, to never say an unkind word to anyone, and to never make any mistakes. Of course, it is impossible for any human being to be perfect, but somehow I was held to that standard. Any time I did something remotely "scandalous" like get a bad grade or lose my temper, people would act shocked. That was one of the most annoying things I had to face in junior high. And seeing as schools are always filled with people who want to tear others down, you're probably going through roughly the same thing. So here's my advice to you:
1. Own it. You are your own person and you're only ridiculed because people are jealous. I know this for a fact because one of my old junior high bullies admitted to only being mean because she was jealous. Keep being yourself, and do not let them ruin who you are.
2. Stay kind. Their jealousy is probably coming from the insecurities that they feel. Everyone deals with self-conscious issues; they are just lashing out instead of dealing with it themselves. So be kind; don't lower yourself to their level. Be the bigger person.
3. Don't change. There is nothing wrong with getting good grades, obeying your parents and teachers, and sticking to your morals. In fact, these are all GOOD things that you should be doing: not because you're the "Good Girl," but because you want to succeed.
You have a long road ahead of you. You still have high school coming and the sad truth is that nothing will change; the "goody two shoes" will still be a label you have to face. Be prepared to let it roll off your shoulders because this label does NOT define who you are. You are so much more. Stay strong girl; I'm rooting for you.
