Tag Archives: girls

Raising girls and daughters :: Part 2

After this event Wyluxx, his 16 yr old daughter and I went for a proper dinner (proper meaning we didn’t really have a meal before the event). This was in a typical-ish Chinese restaurant in a shoplot; you know, opened front no doors, siew chow joint. This was still on the foothills of Genting.

Upon reaching an empty table Wyluxx gestured for his daughter not to sit where she was about to, but to sit “over there”- another part of the table. She asked why, he said “You’rewearingaskirt..” She looked around, and spotted (“oh..”) the table of probably-blue-collared mid-aged men, sipping their tea with empty plates of whatever they had had. They eyed without staring.

I don’t think my niece as naive, but maybe just not as alert as she should be.

I used to be like this with my dates. Not so much telling her where to sit, but as a precaution I know where things and people are, who among these was looking and / or eyeing; just in case (there’s that reference to Jason Bourne again). Some dates knew where to sit, others knew where to sit also!

Not that Caitlin is already of that age (then again there are those who do like this age), but I would have to be on this similar alert too; as part of the street smarts that I would like my kids to be.

Raising girls and daughters :: Part 1

Caitlin’s recent medical condition (it’s not as serious as it sounds, really) has made me become aware; or at least reminded me again, of the magnitude of the role as a parent.

As parents at this point in their lives we are their only reference. Medical conditions, physical safety, social behaviours, questions on these all have to be answered by us parents; at least in my household. Other times it will be their maternal grandparents, since they are in their care during office hours.

I can already see this as a first in a series of “events” in raising a girl.

  • Boys
    That they are different in that they have an appendage where girls don’t
  • Boys
    Can be rough, dirty, bullies in school, perhaps even uncontrollable
  • Boys
    Are such strange creatures of (or so *they* claim!) simple-mindedness
  • Boys
    Are such interesting creatures, when I am in my teens
  • Boys
    Can make interesting friends; but I gotta be careful of their hormones
  • Boys
    Can make good friends, too
  • Boys
    Can be so easily manipulated
  • Boys
    Not all boys (men) are pigs!

Heh.

Sorry, my fellow men, for betraying our own man-kind. I gotta be thinking in their shoes in order to be of any help to my daughter!

I will probably follow up soon with a similar list for my son!

Have I missed anything, ladies??