I had an interesting discussion today with my boyfriend Aaron. We were out playing with his 3 year old daughter Abigail in front of our house. She wanted to play in the back of the pickup truck with the hose. Her dad put up there and we went and sat on the porch. As we watched her play, he got nervous about how close she was to the edge. I had no issues with her playing and didn't feel she was in any danger of falling. I then asked him, if she were a boy, would you be so nervous about her playing up there?
He thought about and said he didn't think so. He felt he would tell him to back up just like he told her too. I wasn't so sure. Now, Aaron has only this 3 year old daughter. I have 4 children, 3 boys born first and then my daughter. They are all adults now. I find that I treat Abigail like I did all my boys. My daughter was raised that way as well. I was so used to the rough and tumble life of 3 boys, that when my daughter was born, that is just how I parented.
I watch the interactions between Aaron & Abigail often and sometimes point out that he is treating her like a girl and not just a preschooler. She loves to climb and play up high.
He isn't the only one. When we go to the park, I let Abigail run and climb and jump. When she is climbing, I am not standing under her ready to catch her. I trust her abilities and I know her capabilities. The other parents though always have something to say. "Is she ok up that high?!?", Someone will ask. I say yes of course she is! Usually there are boys up just as high and just as wild and crazy, but no one is asking if they are ok. Those mother's are sitting off to the side chatting or reading and no one blinks an eye, until Abigail is the one climbing. I have always found this quite interesting. I saw it with my own daughter 17 years ago, and now with Abigail. It seems to be a great example of "boys will be boys".
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