DD10 is very tall for her age. She's found her height upsetting for years, but it's gotten much worse over the last few months or so. She's the tallest in her year group by quite a way and has been for a while. She was taller than her teacher by the end of last year and is taller than her new teacher she'll start with in September, which she finds particularly difficult. She's often mistaken for much older than her actual age. Her size is often pointed out when she's with her age group. She's not overweight, but other kids in her year group haven't started hitting puberty yet as far as I'm aware. So she does look 'bigger.' Her friends all seem to be tiny for their age which isn't helping. She is very, very aware of how her body compares to her peer group. I was the same at her age and it really affected me as I got older, which I don't want for her.
Her year group are doing a residential week in October. It's one of the adventure day type franchises, so climbing, abseiling, raft building, trampoline type games etc.They did a weekend trip to a different place owned by the same franchise before they finished for summer where most of the activities were done in pairs and they got to pick their partners. On that trip, DD was told by the teachers on the trip that she couldn't partner with the other kids for the pair activities because she was so much bigger than them and might end up hurting them on the equipment. She was partnered off with different teachers for the pairs activities on day 1. On day 2 she was given the option of partnering with a teacher or sitting out the activities with another group that had already done them, after she said she was upset she couldn't go on with her friends. She cried her eyes out when she was picked up at the end that she was fat, she hates her body, she just wants to be small like her friends.
She's been bringing up the October residential on and off all summer break. She doesn't want to go because she felt so uncomfortable last time. I've told her she doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to, but she's afraid of missing out if she doesn't go, or being made fun of for not wanting to be away from home for four nights. She's missed out on activity weekends for extra curriculars before because they fell on her dad's weekends, which is a whole separate thread. But her worry that she'll feel left out the week after the trip is valid to her.
I feel there has to be a better solution than she sucks it up or I just pull her out the trip, but I can't work out what it might be.