Thanks for the clarification, Dude! It was this statement:
"but... uhhh... it IS well established that most boys tend to pay significant attention to it when a girl is... crying. So, maybe if she's really upset, she doesn't go find a quiet corner and hide her feelings?"
that I seemed to have misunderstood. Yes, educate the boys. Please! They are often overlooked as needing skills in this realm. I wouldn't put the task of educating the boys on this child's plate, though, nor would I have her do it through a non-genuine response. That's all.
