Parenting has become the longest job I’ve ever held. I’ve been raising children for 22 years now. For the sake of children, the pain of childbirth lessens with time. I’ve raised an only child, and now am raising three more. Through all of these years, when anyone asks if I’m sad not to have a daughter, I quickly reply NO. I’ve seen girls today, and don’t believe I have the strength to endure the intensity required to fulfill that mission.
Sure, boys have their moments too, they are rowdy, make very strange noises in public and have disgusting choices of pets. Consider this as getting purgatory out of the way with the terrible two’s.
I’ve seen the prim donna training. That phase can last an entire lifetime. Sure you might get a couple of good years, but it can start as early as two, and escalate from there. If you’re new to parenting, there is no room for error with girls. The damage is done quickly and early on with no hope of repair. With sons, you can make mistakes with possibility of survival. If you find your parenting style is ineffective, you can make adjustments along the way. Boys seem more flexible.
Girls learn to rely on their innocent looks as youngsters, which then becomes an ingrained habit before pre-school begins. Boys are looked upon with suspicion, due to their curiosity and general activity level. Because of this labeling, they generally don’t form the same long lasting habits of manipulation.
Young girls are more likely to follow one around saying “Gee, that is my favorite.” “Mmm, that looks good”, instead of just asking if they could have something. I was once followed an entire afternoon by a cute, sweet, innocent looking girl, that continuously told me everything that caught her eye was her favorite. I’m used to the boys approach, which is straightforward; if there is something they want or need they have no fear of just asking. Quickly, painlessly their request is taken care of.
Then come the teenage years. There’s a very good reason for the term DRAMA QUEEN. I’ve witnessed them in action, and it is not a pretty sight, nor does a picture of royalty spring to mind. It’s amazing that some of these fine examples can accomplish much through THESE years. In all fairness, there are a few DRAMA KINGS as well.
How many grown men brag with vanity plates stating “Daddy bought this, but It’s all mine now?” Another true example that left me flabbergasted was “My Daddy will need to buy this for me.” The previous statement came from a co-worker who happened to be a 42 year old woman at the time. I don’t see why anyone would think this a bragging point. Can that truly be helpful in the mating game? It seems like that would become tiring for anyone trying to enter that picture.
This disorder begins early in life. Girls seem so precious, so fragile, in need of constant praise and protection. Girls learn early how to play on this thought process by the good intentions of their doting fathers. I was once Daddy’s Little Girl, but through intensive intervention I’ve broken my dependency on him. We are now friends, and much closer than we would be had I not grown up.
There are a few good, strong, independent women in the world, and I applaud them. However, there are too many examples of prim donna's and Drama Queens, that tend to give us all a bad image.
No comments:
Post a Comment