“Whew”, I thought. “Now this one will be easy”.
That was my reaction when I first found out we were having a girl — a little sister to our soon to be 2-year old boy.
Somehow, I held in my mind the image of boys running wild, catching lizards (yikes!) and breaking everything in their path.
Girls on the other hand, were, you know… sugar, spice and everything nice. Wonder where I got that idea?
Well, it wasn’t long before I realised that my pre-conceived ideas of boys and girls didn’t hold much weight.
As a parent of both a boy and a girl, I have an interesting vantage point. I now see that the differences between my children have less to do with gender stereotypes and more to do with their personalities.
Girls are not always ‘easier’ than boys. And this one. This little girl of mine, well she had a mind of her own from as early as six months old! She is strong and fierce and strong (did I say that already?).
Her personality is big. She would always have the last word if you let her. And she loves to let you know what she thinks. She challenges me and stretches me.
Yet, as a woman, I’m finding that parenting a girl is nothing short of beautiful.
Tweet This
And I sense the weight of bringing her up right. (Proverbs 22:6)
Of teaching her to be strong, yet gentle.
To dream big while keeping her feet on the ground.
To be her best without giving into the lie of having it all.
But she’s teaching me so much more. And there’s beauty in every moment.
Today, I’m sharing a glimpse of my girl.
In this picture she was recording my story, never knowing that she was stealing my heart in the process.
Read more here as I share the insights I gained from this interlude on the porch with my precious girl.
What about you?
Did you also think like me, that parenting a girl was ‘easy’?
Join me here to continue to conversation.
Wishing you blessings,Â
Please spread the shine and share this with your friends using the share buttons below.Â
I love linking my weekly posts with these amazing sites.
*This post was part of the original I am Woman series on a blog that has since been discontinued. I’ve updated it to be sure that you can still enjoy this great content.
Girls are a whole other deal, aren’t they, Marva!
I have my two in the same order – boy first, then girl.
Life has never been boring!
Sharing your post all over today~
Woohoo!
Melanie
And look how well yours turned out, Melanie! Yay, there’s hope. And I can’t wait to read your parenting book, How to Win Your Child’s Heart for Life. I’m sure there’ll be so much wisdom and truth there! Woohoo! 🙂
Oh gosh girl- raising girls has its challenges thats for sure! I’ve got two of them…but they’re the most beautiful sweetest things in all of my world. I praise God that they “have been a challenge” everyday because they have taught me more than I imagined about life! So great to see you today Marva!
It’s always a pleasure having you stop by, Shannon. I thank God for the challenges too. I know for sure that this little one of mine is making me stronger and wiser. I have lots of stories to tell! 🙂
I really like how you tied the two posts together! Having raised three daughters and being raised with 6 brothers (only girl) I would have to say girls were a little more difficult because I set high expectations for myself and them. My prayers were that their lives would be different than mine was and God was smack in the center of it because I couldn’t do it without His hand in our lives. Thank you for giving our readers a glimpse of your heart.
Michelle, you’re the one I need to thank for being the spark behind this series. What an amazing way to honour women and remind us of our God-given gifts. We are indeed special and unique, aren’t we? I’m so glad that you saw God working in your own parenting. I’m fortunate to learn from amazing women like you and I’m grateful that in spite of the distance, I am blessed by your story!
I look forward to meeting you in person one day.
Hugs and blessings!
Marva, I always giggle because loooong ago before I was a Mama, I insisted God would never, in His right mind, give me a boy! I thought I wouldn’t have the slightest idea what to EVER do with them! HA! Reality struck and God thought He was funny by giving me two boys! But, as always, He was right, and I figured it out and treasure my boys. They are so much fun. I am thankful to be a Mama to a beautiful little girl through adoption, though! Both unique and both challenging – but both amazing!!!
Beautiful post, my friend!
Hugs,
Lori
Yep, God really does have a sense of humour! AND He knows exactly what we can handle and what we need! Your kids are amazing and you are an amazing Mommy to them. I really appreciate the example that you set as you follow God’s lead!
Hugs, my friend!
Loved the words on both blogs today! It’s a strange paradigm women face today: the message to have it all, the multiple options available, and yet being constrained by our womanhood at the same time (I don’t even know if that makes sense!). I only hope that our daughters can continue to be free to be exactly who they want to be (and more importantly, who GOD wants them to be).
That is my hope too, Gina. Being a woman in today’s world sure can seem complicated but we really do need to focus in on the important things. It’s not easy but well worth the effort.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your sparkle with us! I appreciate you!
Well stated, Marva. It’s not as complicated as we try and make it. Choose life. The Bible shows us how to do that. I loved what you wrote.
Dawn, it’s funny how we find ways to make life so much more complicated than God intended. It’s so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, isn’t it?
Your daughter is beautiful, Marva! Our oldest is strong-willed. We used to say if we can just help her learn to channel it well. And she has. She’s a beautiful daughter and mom with a great career. But you’re right . . . she did stretch me. 🙂
Thanks for the hope, Deb. Now I know I can make it through this stage and we can both turn out okay! 🙂
Hugs, my friend!
It’s such a delicate balance. Raising a strong, independent woman who humbly walks with her Lord. I appreciated your perspective here. Thanks!
You’re right, Traci. It is a delicate balance. It helps me to remember that she is God’s princess before she’s my daughter. I am praying to raise her in the way that He would have her go and I know that His plans for her are so much better than I could ever imagine!
Thanks for stopping by!