Sunday, October 3, 2010

Girlie girl

I think it's been made clear that I am kind of sexist and old fashioned when it comes to gender roles. I really do believe that there are just certain things that women are made for and certain things men are made for. On the other hand, I definitely believe in things like educating women and that men can be sensitive and sweet.

For some reason, probably the person who is usually the one who says this, it really bothers me when people comment about Rayne "she's such a girl" because she just happened to pick the pink toy instead of the blue one at the moment. Rayne loves to wear these shiny bead necklaces that her grandma has, she kisses her stuffed animals, she likes barrettes in her hair. I suppose these things all make her "girlie," but she also loves her cousin's "boy toys-" little guys that talk and cars that roll and stacking blocks. Does this make her a tom boy? Of course not. It makes her a kid, a human. Probably if she was a boy, she'd love the shiny beads and kissing her stuffed animals too. It's what they do. They are learning to love, to express things, to put beads over their heads and they like bright shiny colors.

Perhaps it bothers me because it's like saying girls are only into make-up, looking pretty and pink. Okay, those things are fun as a girl. But I just don't believe they are completely innate. What I would like to nurture about her being "such a girl," is femininity and education and creativity and... if she happens to like make up and pink when she's older, fine. If not, she's not any less of a girl.

2 comments:

  1. I think you are a fine and wise mom who will nurture her daughter's personality in a very healthful way. Rayne is so adoreable and I don't thing there will be very much that can hold her down. That's the way it should be. You're doing great....and Jeff too.

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  2. I wouldn't worry about any of it, ALL of my boys were into fingernail polish and trucks... they would destroy anything in a matter of minutes but Hunter could paint his toenails flawlessly... of course they've out grown it, but they still give their mamma kisses even through they're too old to give kisses to their sister... Shae played with Shyanne's dolls since she never did, but he'd bury them with his backhoe. Shyanne was never a girly girl, I still can't get her to wear regular shoes and I remember her begging to wear make-up and when I finally let her she couldn't care less....
    They just are who they are...

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