"When I did the original research for 'Odd Girl Out,' I asked every bullied girl I interviewed to tel..." — Rachel Simmons

It's not easy to let our kids be less than perfect.

Girlhood is often marred by schoolgirl cruelty, a grim rite of passage in which parents sometimes cruelly collude. Mothers and fathers must take a stand against petty or protracted hostility between girls.

Self-compassion encourages mindfulness, or noticing your feelings without judgment; self-kindness, or talking to yourself in a soothing way; and common humanity, or thinking about how others might be suffering similarly.

Real body satisfaction starts when you learn to see yourself for more than your weight.