To Be a Girl

Happy International Women's Day!

I took the opportunity to reflect on the little woman in our house...and on some of her stranger antics of late. Namely, her obsession with all things pink. Not that I have anything against pink, and she looks really cute in pink. But the other day we were discussing getting her some new shoes and she said, "I want pink shoes...because I'm a girl." My feminist alarm bells began to sound. And then she continued, "And Paddy will have black shoes because he's a boy and you'll have pink shoes because you're a girl and Daddy will have black shoes because he's a boy." The bells are ringing, clanging, but I'm trying to keep cool because I'm sure that if I over react now she'll end up in a Miss Ireland/Miss America pageant in 15 years or something. Which would be my worst nightmare (aside from either of them joining the CIA).



"But, Daddy wears pink shirts, and he looks great in them!" I chirped. But she wasn't seeing things my way. "PINK IS FOR GIRLS AND I'M A GIRL." And this "pink for girls" talk has continued for the past few days. Where is it coming from???? It's certainly not from me or Daithi. She likes dolls and tea parties, but she likes trucks, too. And the only "Barbie" she has is this one from Dubai, which could be the subject of a whole other discussion on oppression and liberation. (maybe another day, another post).




She's almost three, and the world has already gotten to her and told her what is expected of her, what her possibilities are, what it is to be a girl. I knew it would happen someday, but I thought she'd have more time.