Now look, my daughter is going to be 8 next month and I can tell you that a lot of what you think is because of what either family or the media will put on her. She’ll get pink stuff. She’ll get dolls and jewelry and all that. She’ll see ludicrous cartoons and Nickelodeon shows that you can’t understand at all and like music that doesn’t deserve to be called such.
It’ll happen.
But she’s still yours and you can influence her into liking other things. You have to have things in common to get along and understand each other. My girl likes to play guitar, thinks Buffy kicks ass, Doctor Who is awesome, Star Wars is great, and loves my old GameBoy.
Congrats and you will figure it out. But then they hit the teen years and you have to start all over. I only have the one girl and I swear at times it is ‘ME’ and my wife and several teenage girls hanging–get ready for Estrogen City!
I had sisters but they were all much older or younger then me. I grew up in the middle of four brothers. You will figure it out trust me and little girls are a hoot! Congrats again.
edited to add: Wait until you have to have ‘the talk’ with your daughter–now that is fun city right there!
Please don’t do like my father, who assumed that since I was a girl we couldn’t have anything in common. People have remarked time and again that I got my mother’s body and my father’s brain, but my relationship with him is prefectly exemplified by:
ring ring
Dad’s voice: Hello?
Me: Hi Dad, how a—
Dad: Oh, I’ll fetch your mother.
Seriously, DOOOOOD! Your girl will get sick enough of being evaluated by her crotch without her daddy doing it!
Oh, and congratulations. And return that pillow
Here is a list of things The Littlest Briston likes:
Food
Space ships
Ninjas
Explosions
Sticking pens in things
Farts
And her latest is an obsession with monster trucks. When we go to McDonalds and get her a Happy Meal, we have to make sure to specify that we want the “boy toy”, because there’s no way she would want to have a Strawberry Shortcake doll when there are Transformers to be had.
I wouldn’t sweat it. And congratulations!
BTW – if you ask me, Chanteuse’s suggestion borders on child abuse.
I grew up with two brothers and two stepbrothers (5 boys total) and most of the rest of the family was boys as well. I have two young daughters now and will never have a son and don’t want one either. You don’t have to learn everything at once. If you are an attentive parent, you will know what to do right away but still learn day by day. I have taken care of my daughters by myself since they were born and have never had a sex-specific issue. My 7 year old is a little catty and pissy with her friends and they oblige back but that is to be expected.
My wife hung out with boys as a kid and she was more the type to go fishing and play sports and not at all a little princess. I guess we are wondering what if our girl wants to be a little princess because we have no idea what that entails.
She will get to pick her own NFL team, but some will be encouraged and some discouraged. If she picks Eagles, Giants, or Redskins, she will be grounded until she turns 18, at which point she gets booted out.
Let me see if I can find the manual. I’m just about done with it and I know I left it around here somewhere. Oh. Wait. Nevermind. I never got a manual. Good luck.
Congrats!!! Remember you have a secret weapon - your wife. She knows what boys are like and what boys want as well and she did pretty good with it. She married you, after all !
I love my son more than anyone or anything in the world, but I originally wanted a girl when my wife got preggers six years ago. I knew nothing about little girls or the rearing of same, but little girls always love their daddies. At some point a boy is going to hate your guts and see you as an opponant.
Re your list: Except for the “sticking penis into things”, all of the other activities are ones that girls often enjoy (mine sure does). Girls can also enjoy the remaining activity, albeit from a different perspective, though as her father, you are supposed to apply the traditional double-standard and strongly DISCOURAGE that one!
Congratulations! My 9-year-old daughter is a tomboy who likes Hannah Montana and earrings, despises pink but plays Barbies with one close friend, climbs like a monkey, and is the fiestiest, prettiest, brightest creature on Planet Earth. Don’t worry about prepping yourself – just see what she likes and who she is as a person and take it from there.
Also, it wouldn’t hurt to start yoga right now to prepare for being twisted around that little finger.
By the time she gets the age for playing gender specific games you’ll have a better idea what she’ll like.
I personally think it’s easier with girls because they can go either way without the adults batting an eye. When my little girl wanted to play with tanks and army men it wasn’t as gender-crossing as when her male friend wanted to play Barbies. (Seems ridiculous to me.)
I’ve had two girls and both showed a preference around age two. Choosing from a building block bag they would pick either primary colors or pastel pinks and lavenders. Stuffed animals were either dragons or dinosaurs or dollies and fluffy kitties.
My oldest was more into “boy” toys and games so I was suprised when my four year old decided she’s the prettiest princess ever and must keep herself properly attired and manicured.