Thursday, May 10, 2012

No, You Don't Have to Be a Boy

Poor Sophie.

She's the little one in the family, with her two older brothers, and her two older cousins that are both boys, and they all get to do really cool stuff that she doesn't get to do yet.

Like go tubing.

And play t-ball.

And ride regular bikes.

And go to school.

And pee standing up.


Oh, that's right, she'll never get to do that one.

Anyway, her little brain is smart enough to understand that she's somehow different from this group of older boys, and that leaves her unable to partake in some really cool activities.

But, she's decided that said difference must be her girlhood.

This has left her with a very strong desire to become a boy. She tells me this regularly.

Mom, when do I get to be a boy?
 I wanna be a boy!
Will you make me a boy? 

The other day we were discussing the fact that she's going to start school in 2013. (We're not ready to unleash the madness that is Sophie on those poor unsuspecting pre-schoolers just yet.)

She turned to me, all excited, and said, "(gasp!) Does that mean I get to be a boy!?"


A couple days ago, Noah was asking me if I remembered last summer when the boys went tubing with their cousins at the lake.

Sophie said, with a pouty face, "I didn't get to go tubing."


pause


more pouty face


"Because I'm not a boy."


I keep explaining to her that her being left out of certain things is because of her age and not her gender, but it hasn't quite sunk in yet. At a party with friends last weekend, she announced her desire to become a boy. One of my girl friends sat her down and extolled the many virtues of being a girl, that she can be a princess, and a mommy, and, well, anything she wants to be.

She thought about that for a moment, then said:

"I think I want to be a TV."


Oh dear. I don't think she's quite getting it.


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