Bringing up a little girl is completely different to a boy and possibly a little more challenging – all though the jury is definitely still out on that one!
Alfie is so laid back he’s almost horizontal. He waits for everything to get done for him, including getting dressed in the morning and if he tries to help, it can take an age. However, that said he rarely has a tantrum!
Betsy on the other hand knows what she wants and is determined to do everything herself from choosing what clothes to wear, making her own breakfast and even her bed from last week! Try and help or take over and a well-rehearsed tantrum will incur – she’s earnt the nickname ‘Little Miss Independent’.
I don’t think I was naturally born to ‘raise girls’ and it always makes me laugh when I think back to my NCT group days when I was pretty much the only mum to be feeling happy in the knowledge that I was having a boy rather than a girl. Second time round, I’d convinced myself that I was having another boy, so it came to be a bit of a shock when they told me I was in fact expecting a little girl. I’d always been a blue girl and the colour pink wasn’t even on my radar…
Nothing, however prepared me for the bond I have with my little girl and I love having a little girl, even if it can feel like walking on a tightrope at times. On the one hand, I’m excited for her future with girls doing great on paper. Empowering campaigns such as ‘This Girl Can’ and impressive female achievements are everywhere, yet depression and anxiety are very real threats.
It’s true to say that being a mum is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, but also dealing with fears you never knew existed and one fear that I have is how I go about making sure that I raise a strong independent daughter. What’s the secret in raising a happy, confident girl?
Loving yourself is a good starting point and something I definitely have to work towards daily! Research shows that how a girl feels about her appearance is largely determined by how her mum regards her own. Here’s to hoping that when Betsy see’s me going out for a run or dancing in the kitchen, I’m teaching her to love her body…
Today is International Women’s Day and all about challenging ourselves, individually to be responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. From challenge comes change, so let’s all #choosetochallenge.
Here’s hoping that I do my best to help Betsy-Ann to become her best, well-rounded self who will celebrate being a girl…
#MyWorld 