Girly

Belly time-4 1/2 months

Lately I have had several people ask me if Ocoee was a boy or ask me how old my son is. I think she looks pretty girl like but I can understand the confusion....Ocoee isn't a gender specific name and if babies aren't in pink it seems people assume they are a boy. Ocoee has enough pink stuff to make pepto bismol jealous but we also dress her in other gender neutral clothes. As long as she is warm and comfy who cares the color really.

We actually are trying to be very aware of the gender stereotypes people fall into. Just the other day at the store a kid was throwing a fit and crying and his mom said to him, "You're crying like a girl." REALLY?

How could the mom diss her own gender? Also this did not help the situation at all. The kid kept crying.

When boarding the plane in Seattle a little girl and her parents were boarding behind me. She was around 6. The dad asked the little girl if she wanted to meet the pilot. He said, "He might even give you wings." Then as we boarded the pilot.....a woman...greeted us. The dad said oops, talk about stereotypes. I guess at least he was aware of the slip.

I am sure I am guilty as well but I have never felt in life I couldn't do something because I was a girl, and I want Ocoee to not feel limited either.

How to do this haunts me. I am a teacher and I see the issues girls deal with. How will I make sure she knows here value isn't tied up in her looks? How will I teach her to go for anything she wants? What creates a strong woman?

I don't know. I do know that so many people have told me that raising their daughter was harder than a son.....is it true?

PBS has an article that made lots of sense to me call Raising a Powerful Girl.

On a personal level my mom and I never had a close relationship. There were so many issues and she passed away when I was 26 so they are unresolved. I knew immediately when I was pregnant that Ocoee would be a girl. I think this is my chance to break the cycle. To be the mom I always wanted. To not make the mistakes my mom made....to learn from them instead. I also think this is why we waited to have kids. I was afraid I would not be a good mom.

I realize now that the fear I must let go of. I want to be motivated by love not fear when it comes to my baby.

Cheers

J