For some time I've wanted to write a blog about the differences between boys and girls. Mostly because I think my parent friends with one (or more) of each will appreciate it. I was never happy with whatever I was writing on the topic and would delete the post, but today I just had to write about it. With my daughter Elizabeth almost two years old, her personality is out, shining, and well, she's a girl. She flirts to get her way, is fairly bossy, has a mommy instinct, and is completely, without a doubt, different from the boys.
This morning Elizabeth came up to me, handed me her diaper, put underwear on, and told me "all done diaper mom." Right. The boys were older than three (Harrison just over 3, Max just at 3, but nearly 4 before we stopped worrying about accidents) before they had this idea. A half hour into wearing underwear, she had her first accident because she refused to stop playing and sit on the potty. The boys would have laughed about it, played in the pee puddle, or hardly cared about such accidents. What did my daughter do?? Holed herself up in a corned and cried about peeing her pants.
She's learned a little too quickly that she has feelings. LOTS of them. The boys are still figuring these feelings out. Even at almost 6 years old, if something doesn't go his way, my oldest would prefer to just hit the nearest person rather than deal with it. My daughter prefers to grab at her heart and cry. About everything. One of the boys topple off of the couch, there may be tears, but usually there's questions if stitches are in order. My daughter topples off of the couch......it's like someone killed her. The most sorrowful cries ever. She can also scream like none other.
Recently my kids have been battling colds. The boys get insanely grumpy. My daughter grabbed a piece of chocolate and informed me "chocolate. Oh, feel better now" (aka-chocolate makes her feel better).
The boys (and pretty much all of the daycare kids) will not getaway with anything....not with Elizabeth around that is. A conversation from this morning: "Ummm....mom! Hee (Harrison) arm." Me: "Hee got your arm." E: "Mmmhhmmm. Arm ouch. Grab." Me: "H grabbed your arm." E: "Mmmmmhhhhmmm." Me: "Was it an accident." E: "Ummm.....know no. Hee, time out please." She then proceeded to try to put her middle brother into time out.
When there's an issue with another child and the boys, hitting/wrestling/grabbing is always the answer. A girl's answer: it's much better to use words, tattle, say mean things, be bossy, lie, or talk the other kids into doing what they want. My thoughts on this: it's sooo much easier to say "don't hit!" than to attempt to explain lying to a toddler.
My oldest boy is obsessed with superheroes. My daughter is obsessed with shoes. The minute any daycare child enters our house, she checks out their shoes (she also tries to steal them as soon as the child takes them off, but that's a completely different story). At not even 2 years old, she's got 6 pairs of shoes and prefers different shoes on different days. She's also developed a taste for purses and lip gloss. My sons have used lip gloss as body paint, just for funsies.
The boys can eat INSANE amounts of food while my daughter is the lightest eater I've ever met.
These are the differences between my two boys and my little girl that I noticed just this morning. I'm quite certain parents of both boys and girls notice these differences as well--mostly because it's a hot topic among the parents I speak with. I shake my head in disbelief as I see my daughter becoming such a girl right before my eyes. All I know is: My attitude is getting thrown back in my face. I'm screwed.
These differences amaze me in the fact that they've happened all on their own. I have not pushed my daughter to become "such a girl." Elizabeth plays superheroes with her brother's, loves to wrestle, win a light saber battle, and prefers her brother's five sizes too big Avenger shoes. Likewise, the boys play dolls, "cook" food in the play kitchen, and love tea parties......just know that the tea party will be over and you will be punched in the face when you knock their tea over.