I was very introverted and lacking confidence in primary school due to having parents who knocked my confidence to smithereens in various ways.
My mum used to say things like “you live too much in an adults’ world” (I was an only child) and “you’re too backwards in coming forwards”
After years of being quiet and introverted, I then forced myself to be extroverted to overcompensate in High school and became like the ‘Colin. Hunt’ character ‘I’m Mad, Me’ - I mean I may as well have been wearing the Disney tie!!
I was a noticeably fat 11/12 year old and my mum had decided - without consulting me - to cut my perfectly nice, long hair into a bob before high school and it looked awful - it curled in an unfortunate way - which I know my mum couldn’t have predicted but still ..
i also had terrible skin - so I started school being a fat kid with terrible skin and a hideous hairstyle- and engaging in over the top behaviour to compensate - the Colin Hunt/Fast Show character very much nails it. Needless to say I was very unpopular in school and people ‘knew me’ for the wrong reasons!
AIBU to be annoyed with my mum but also at myself for overcompensating and not being more low key?
I lost weight a few years later at 13 and was a normal weight for my age so gained confidence more naturally!
As you can imagine, school kids are unkind to kids who behave like Colin Hunt and are overweight to boot!