Now, the question we've been hearing a lot lately is, 'So how different is it having a girl?'
She turns two today. Two. Which in toddler terms, and in our experience, is not the smoothest phase.
She is the meanest, sweetest, most determined, loving, and dramatic creature in our home.
So, after two years of having a daughter, here's our take on just how different life is between raising boys and raising girls.
* While you scroll through these you may be thinking, 'but my son doesn't do that or my daughter does that too.....' but that's just it. Below are the ways our three boys and one daughter are alike; and the ways our one girl is different...... For no reason, other than She's A Girl. Same house. Same DNA. Same parenting styles. Boys vs Girl.
How CL is Just Like Her Brothers..........
Fearless and Athletic
We're a sporty, outdoorsy, active family, so naturally she has no choice but to follow along.
Rowdy and Dirty
When you have three brothers, you're going to learn how to play rough. When you live in the country and spend 90% of your time at some type of ball field or campground or back yard, you will learn to enjoy dirt.
And hold your ground when wrestling three brothers.
Loud and Ornery
Before children, I was described as a quiet, sweet person. The more kids I had, my personality became louder and stronger. Your kids follow suit.
But still...... How She's Just A Little Totally Different......
Frills and Fashion
Hair Bows vs Ball Caps
Not just for a camera or an audience... she poses just because; with her eye lashes.
And she dances and twirls for no reason at all.
2 out of our 3 boys were/ are stubborn and bull-headed toddlers. They threw some lay-out-on-the-floor-screaming-and-crying-all-because-you-tied-their-shoelace-the-incorrect-way type of fits. Some doozies. But they were mad. Not emotional. After their tantrum had gone on long enough I could always ask my boys, 'Are you done?' They would nod their head realizing the fit wasn't getting it's desired effect. I remember the first time I asked my daughter this same question while she was throwing a fit in the parking lot of the soccer fields....'Are you done?' But she shook her head No and kept crying. I looked at my mother-in-law with a look of bewilderment. In which she responded, 'I guess she just needs more time to get over it.'
Girls are emotional. Boys get angry. They fight on the playground and then are buddies at the lunch table. Girls don't get over it. My only sign that my fourth child I was pregnant with was a girl was my hair was dry and brittle. With all my boys it was thick, shiny and growing like crazy. My doctor told me it was the battle of the hormones in my body. Little girls' bodies have estrogen. Those little toddler mini women can handle all of that emotional mess about as good as their 30 year old counter parts. Not very well.
Makes this face when 'reading' a sweet card before opening her present.
While playing in the dirt with one shoe, she still manages to hold out
her dress with her fingertip and do a spin.
Sure lots of 2 year olds cry when getting in a water slide full of cold water, but none of our boys did. She wanted to play on the slide. This is her I can't make a decision to go or not and I'm so mad at myself for being scared- face.
Our little Buttercup is so much like our boys.... and she is very different. She has turned our lives upside down from the moment we found out she was coming. We haven't changed how we parent our kids, but we have had to change our way of thinking. It's okay to be sassy, but not rude; prissy but not conceited. She can be dainty but not delicate. We want her to love others but be guarded. To us, she's our princess, but to the rest of the world, she's a Lady. That's how our parenting perspective has changed. Yes it's different.
So where does she get her sweet-sounding nick name? Her loving Daddo found it fitting after the hundredth time he said to her while she cried over who knows what loud noise or 'violent' action...
'Suck it up Butter Cup.'
She smiles at him every time.
One second later....
And there you have it.
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