It’s a reality and your kids need to learn it sometime. You can’t protect them forever. I tell my kids that it doesn’t matter what others do so long as they are kind, friendly and caring of others.

People are human, and people fail. Due to their own insecurities and issues. People normally are unkind, because they can be. I know it doesn’t help much. I was going through this with my 4 year old. Talking to her about her actions to counteract the meanness that she has experienced is how she can deal with it.