I got a call from SD this afternoon, and she was frantic and extremely upset. I tried to calm her down so I could understand her. It took me about 10 minutes to get her down off her 'cliff'. What I finally got out of her astonished me.

SD is five and doesn't attend school yet but lives in a neighborhood with lots of children her age or a few years older. Well apparently this group of girls (ages 5-7) wouldn't play with her and would exclude her from their games even when they were playing in HER backyard. This had been going on since they moved there. I had figured this was normal girlish behavior for that age (not wanting to share) and they hadn't been 'mean' to her. Well apparently this morning (no school day) the girls were outside playing in HER backyard and SD asked them if she could play with them. They told her no, so SD went in and told her grandma (BM's mum) who immediately told them to leave the yard and play in one of their own (I spoke to her Gma after I spoke to SD). Her Gma went back inside and SD stayed outside to play by herself on her swingset. The girls came up to SD and told her she was a tattle-tale and they don't ever want to play with her because she is fat and ugly. One of the older girls added that SD should 'off herself' so everyone would be happy and not have to see her.
Of course I had to explain to SD what 'off herself' meant (and boy did I feel bad, but I didn't want to lie to her). Her Gma had heard it all through the kitchen window and didn't make it outside fast enough to 'slap those girls silly'. SD was in tears and apparently only wanted to talk to me (maybe because I had told her how I had the same problem when I was little when we had this convo previously about girls not wanting to play with her).
I am appalled that children as young as these girls are acting like this! I asked her Gma if she wanted me to talk to their parents or if she thought BM would handle it, she said she would talk to BM and see how she wanted to do it. I ordered some free bullying information from HRSA (videos, booklets and activity sheets) so I can sit down with SD and talk with her about it. I know when I was in highschool, there was the 'mean girls' but my lord these children are barely in school yet!!! I don't know what else to do. I hope BM handles the parents, but if she won't I would GLADLY let them have it (according to my coworkers, I'm good at giving thorough b*tchouts). If SD ever did this, she would receive a life sentence from DH and I. Kids are starting this crap WAYYYY TO EARLY. And in light of the Phoebe Prince case, I am afraid for SD's wellbeing. Even though I don't LOVE the kid, I still care about her and I know what it is like to be bullied. A 5 year old shouldn't have to endure that crap.