Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Having a little girl is messing me up

I admit it, when I think about raising a little girl it SCARES me to death. It just seems so much harder to raise a little girl. There is so much pressure from an early age to be a certain way and I hate it. That isn't the case with boys. Boys can be jocks, video game studs, computer wizs, Lego dudes, superheros, whatever. But with girls it just seems different, I don't like it. There seems to be one way a girl should be....which is a Disney Princess (I think). I'm far from "girlie" and don't want to push being a tomboy or being a prissy little girl on Alexis. I want her to be exactly what God has created her to be. So she has access to every type of toy, wears lot's of pink but also orange, blue, and green, and will be able to play any sport she wants too(maybe not dance I mean really, imagine me trying to go over her "dance moves" yikes.) But still I worry....

Having a little girl has caused me to do things I never did with the boys. I never looked at what other little baby or toddler boys were wearing to check and see if Connor or Bryce looked "cool" or whatever. I didn't care, we had a McManus boy style and to heck with what everyone else was wearing. But with Alexis I'm paranoid. ALREADY I'm checking out other little girls. Constantly checking to make sure I'm not dressing her like a weirdo or something.

The really sad part is that having a little girl is unearthing insecurities I HAVE and feelings I don't like to feel. And yuck I hate that. I want to write about it more later. But I never expected that having a girl would be so very different than boys.

Moms with girls, do you feel the pressure or is it just me?


*For those wondering if I'm FINALLY done with the cirriculum I'm working on for HELP. I am and I am NOT. You see they have asked me to do even more. So I'm trying to blog and write at the same time. Ha this should be interesting!

4 comments:

jennijen said...

I don't really worry about what the other girls are dressed like, but I do often worry about the pressures that are placed on little girls and how to deal with them. I think we as mommies feel more pressure with little girls because we think we ought to be good at being a girl (erm, woman) and many of us don't feel that good at it yet.

Jen McManus said...

Oh my word, Jenni. "we think we ought to be good at being a girl and many of us don't feel that good at it yet" LOVE THAT! Thanks girl.

Anonymous said...

I think the best you can do for Lexi, or the boys for that matter, is emphasize what's on the inside, not the outside. Raise them to have a high quality of self esteem and the rest will take care of itself. With great self esteem, it won't matter what others think, wear, say, do. With great self esteem, they can be who they are without fear of that. How to do that? Well, that's the million dollar question; however, you ARE doing that by raising them in the Lord, teaching them to be good Christians, giving of themselves to others, being kind, having sympathy, treating others as they would want to be treated, and in this, they will have the self esteem they need to be who they are, what they are, find their way, and be great people. The rest will all fall away. So, do what you always do -- place it in the hands of the Lord. He will "raise" them through you to be what they were destined to be, regardless of what they wear, what they choose to do or not do -- they will have the courage they need to be what God intends them to be ! You're doing a GREAT job, you and Adam. Your kids are lucky to have you both to help guide them, and with God's ultimate wisdom, He will show you the way. The peer pressure will come soon enough regardless. Just keep on raising them in the Lord, and hopefully this too will be kept at a minimum. They will know who they are.
Love Nana

Anonymous said...

Sweet daughter.. You are doing awesome... Be who YOU are and that will be the best example for Lexie. Whether she be a girlie girl or tomboy..or a mix of them... just let her be her.. like I did you. and keep the Lord first and it will all come together. DOn't worry... will you mistakes, of course.. but you will make them with the boys too... just be ready to always forgive yourself and go on.. and you will do a super job. if you and Adam be one first, be one with God and then one with each other and everything else will be great. I love you baby... Mom

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...