My niece and I were pregnant at the same time. Yes I said my niece because there are only 6 years difference between us. She was pregnant with her second child while I was with my first. We got to talking after we found out the gender of our unborn children.
I am going to interject a funny story hear before I get back to the main topic of my post. My great-nephew had so wanted his Mom to have a little girl. He was quite disappointed that he was getting a brother and not a sister. So one day my niece let it slip that I was having a girl. Her son asked, "Aunt Stacie is having a girl?" She told him that I was. He paused for a moment and suggested to her that we could just switch babies. That way he could have a sister and his aunt and uncle could still have a baby they would just have a boy. I asked her why he wanted a sister so badly. She looked at me and said, "He wants his own personal cheerleader." I had to giggle. My great nephew was playing football at the time. So I explained to him that we couldn't switch babies but he could still have his own personal cheerleader. She would just live with us. My daughter has gone to his games. How effective a cheerleader she is remains to be seen.
Late that same day is when the topic of gender came up. I remember my niece saying she was so glad to be having a boy that girls are so difficult to raise. Probably not those exact words but something like it. She went on to explain about girls getting all emotional and having to go through puberty. Not to mention all the drama that comes with a girl. Boys were generally easier because they didn't have all this.
I started to panic. She wasn't even born yet and already people were telling me how difficult it was. I had heard this from friends too. I don't necessarily think that boys are less difficult then girls. I just think it's different. Girls do have their issues and so do boys.
One of the major things I'm thinking of is body image. I want to promote good bod image to her when she's four so maybe it won't be so bad when she's fourteen. Everywhere I took they're talking about how Barbie is a bad roll model because she's out of proportion. When did a doll become a role model for kids? I read about all the celebrities that have been photoshopped to look the most appealing to the audience of readers out there. Then there is the notion that thin is pretty and if you don't look a certain way you are ugly.
Not only am I dealing with all that, I'm dealing with being an older Mom. Am I going to understand my daughter's woes when she is 14 and I am 55? Will I be able to relate to her? Will I be able to help her past this time in her life?
I don't know right now. Maybe I'll just have to wait until we get there. I try not to worry about what will happen ten years from now, but sometimes it just creeps into my mind. I just have to remember to try to be the best Mom I can possibly be. I must be doing something right because the other day I had put on some lipstick and she said, "Mommy, don't color your lips." I said, "Too late I already did it." She said, "You don't have to do that. You are pretty without it." I smiled the rest of the day and prayed she'll keep thinking like that as she gets older.
No comments:
Post a Comment