a seven year old's identity crisis
Some days, I hate school. Public, private, etc. My daughter is still developing her identity. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't. She LOVES basketball and skateboarding. She loves anything with four legs and fur. One of her favorite activities is training Zoe to pull her on a skateboard.
She also loves sparkly Princess-like dresses and getting her nails done.
She hates being forced to choose between her love of sports and "boy things" and being "a girl" by the people she calls friend. I hate watching her trying to decide who she is and what she wants to be. I try to empower her and let her know that it's okay to be a kick butt skatergirl and that it's also okay to like to wear dresses and get a mani/pedi. The two do not need to be mutually exclusive. But in her head that is the case, and as her mother it's painful to watch.
She also loves sparkly Princess-like dresses and getting her nails done.
She hates being forced to choose between her love of sports and "boy things" and being "a girl" by the people she calls friend. I hate watching her trying to decide who she is and what she wants to be. I try to empower her and let her know that it's okay to be a kick butt skatergirl and that it's also okay to like to wear dresses and get a mani/pedi. The two do not need to be mutually exclusive. But in her head that is the case, and as her mother it's painful to watch.
Get her to wear a dress skating. Now THAT will confirm everything. ;-)
ReplyDeleteScrew it with the girl "friends" if they're that mean. Not a friend if you judge someone. Dude friends maybe easier to hang out with right now. I know it's not that easy but that's just my 2 cents.
That can be one of the hardest things for girls is finding an identity in the world. A lot easier for boys. Right now I love watching my almost 3 year old daughter finding her way. On one hand she loves wrestling around with and playing in the mud but also loves being a "girly-girly" playing dress up and dolls with other girls. It would be so much easier if people wouldn't pigeon hole personalities.
ReplyDelete@Oakmonster - she would too! with shorts on. But apparently you have to have the right shoes to skate. I was told one day that I had the wrong shoes. She prefers the boys but hates getting teased by the girls for having a "boyfriend". It's 2nd grade for goodness sake!
ReplyDelete@Jason - I loved having her at home where there was no censorship as to what she wanted to do and I made no distinction between "boy stuff" and "girl stuff". School sucks. Not all parents think that way, or kids.