Yes. Totally agreed.

Amidst the “girls can do tough things too! and that’s awesome!” outcry, people forget that you MIGHT reinforce the fact that only the said “manly” things are worthy of daddy’s praise.

So, dads: be careful. YOU should also let your daughters know the “girlish” things are valuable, and MEAN IT. If she has a knack for organizing things, running things smoothly at home, has an eye for beauty, is able to care for others etc etc, LET HER KNOW SO. And MEAN IT. This is also what you should be encouraging.

Do not encourage ONLY if she’s able to hit a boy. She’s trying to be accepted by you, you represent the men in her life to some extent. Do you want her to make fun of girls who cry and are sensitive if they can’t beat boys at a ball game? Do you want her to feel like crap if she realizes one day men are treated better than women in a certain scenario?

Do you?

So try to balance things. That’s what parenting is about, anyway….

Shmikey, I think the problem here is you think too much about things – and since the rest of us don’t know the process, it’s much harder to see things from your prespective, and even when you explain yourself, it doesn’t always make much sense to me. However, as they say… Even though I disagree with everything and anything you have to say, but I’d fight to the death for your right to say it. Variety is the spice of life.

Lisa, Lea, and Kat – right on, ladies!

My dad, bless him, didn’t push me to be girly or boyish. He taught me not to be afraid of anything, and not to let anyone, be it man or woman, walk over me. He trained me to beat up the class bully, and I promise you that boy never bothered anyone again. He also did most of the cleaning and cooking, and was extremely romantic to my mom.
My mum, on the other hand, taught me how to be girly, but also that being girly can be painful (killer heels and leg wax, anyone?). She taught me that as a girl, you have to work harder to be respected. She taught me to be independent, because she wouldn’t be with me forever, and I’d have to take care of myself one day. And it was my ultra-femenine mother who taught me that traditionally male subject I so love: math.

I was the girly girl in ballet class, fixing my hair and trying to steal mum’s makeup — but I also really really wanted a Hot Wheels race track for Christmas and played with my nephews rather than my nieces (I’m the youngest cousin, so they’re my age).
Now, I’m one of the few females in my college classes – I’m going for Civil Engineering. I can hold my own against the guys, because I have the smarts and guts to do it. I’m a martial artist, and I love roughing around with the guys, and yet I can still out dance the lot of them. I’m happy in both work boots and pink dresses, and more importantly, I’m happy being just who and what I want to be.

And Shmikey, as for guys wanting to be the hero… I understand that. Now you have to understand that some of us don’t want to be rescued.
It’s true independent women don’t have as many guys falling for them. But look at the men we do have. I don’t have a knight in shining armor protecting me. I have a prince who knows not only how to fight but how to dance gracefully by my side.