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Home > Blogs > Adventures in Motherhood > Archives > 2009 > July > 06
Monday, July 6, 2009
Mom trying not to make girl too girly
Last week I wrote about how people often mistake my daughter for a boy. Some people saw it for what it was - a light-hearted look at how it is sometimes difficult to tell whether a baby is a boy or a girl.
Others took me to task and some even made a valid point that maybe I shouldn’t be so concerned with gender norms.
In actuality, I’m not. I try not to push my young daughter into typical “girly” stuff. I don’t buy too much pink and opt for some blue (which might lead to the confusion).
My daughter has a Tonka fire truck and police car in honor of her uncle and grandfather’s chosen professions. The husband bought her matchbox cars, which she loves.
She plays with all of her boy cousin’s toys including a Home Depot workbench. I’ve even thought about getting her one of her own when she gets a little bigger. My parents have a John Deere child-sized riding tractor for my nephew that they said they would paint pink for my daughter. I told them it wouldn’t be necessary. Not everything has to be pink.
I’m also very adamant about keeping all things Disney Princess away for as long as possible. Too many play the damsel in distress waiting for their prince to save them - a lesson I want my daughter to buck. I want her to be her own heroine. I want her to know that she can do whatever she wants with or without a partner in her life.
I think it is all about balance and letting the child choose some. If she wants the Disney Princesses for awhile, so be it. But I’ll also try to include those such as Mulan, who picked her own path and fought for what she wanted.
When she gets older, I want her to be active in whatever makes her happy and balanced, whether that is sports or Girl Scouts or both.
How do you balance your child and negotiate typical gender norms?
