One of our parents found this gem on the Huffington Post’s Parenting Blog. Author, Child Psychologist and parent, Katie Hurley has studied what makes a mean girl mean and what makes them unmean. Hurley discovered that girls enter the mean phase in the fourth grade and by establishing “Friendship Clubs” she was able to help girls to stop judging and start empathizing. She feels parents encourage learning and achieving, but seldom focus on empathy, something Hurley feels is key for lifelong success. By creating “Friendship Clubs” Hurley has helped girls kill toxic sarcasm and feel more empowered, which leads to, well, niceness. Read more at HuffingtonPost.com.