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Please no..
Please no.. / Family & Parenting / 12:50 PM - Thursday August 07, 2008
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A Trendsetter (Female, Columbus, 22-25, Self-Employed) asked:


If my 5 year old likes playing with worms, moths, and catching lizards.... but otherwise acts girlie....

Do I have something to worry about? I don't really want a "butch" girl or teenager and she's actually fine about everything else, wears jewelry, plants flowers, wants to help me cook and make stuff, wants to wear my make up and dress up in dresses.........

but she also wants to catch lizards....... and find worms...... and catch moths........... .... hmm


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An Intellectual Guy (Male, Tampa, 56-65, Other Profession) answered:

Screenname: lionhearted32219


I think she is just curious...If she starts eating them, then you have something to worry about.

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A Creative (Female, Philadelphia, 26-28, Who Cares?) answered:

Screenname: surrealoptimism


Why box her in to JUST girlie interests? I love that my daughter is into style/fashion/cute shoes and all things pink but also desperately wants a “real life snake” for her birthday and asking when she can go to another Flyers game. When I go to my girlfriend’s house, (she has two girls and a boy) my daughter bounces from dress up with the girls to sword fighting with their brother. She’s outgoing and active and it sounds like your daughter is too... it’s a beautiful thing!

Encourage her to explore all types of interests without labeling them as boy stuff and girl stuff…it will serve her well throughout her life.

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A Life of the Party (Female, Atlanta, 29-35, Other Profession) answered:

Screenname: sassafras


Nothing wrong with that...she is just being a kid interested in fun things in nature. Who knows, she could end up being a top scientist that finds the cure for some awful disease because of her study of lizards.

Nurture this...doesn't make her butch at all, encourage her curiosity.

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A Mr. Nice Guy (Male, 46-55, Technical) answered:

Screenname: snake147


leave her and her intrests be... she is only 5 let her experiment and grow to be a wonderful woman

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A Thinker (Female, Who Cares?, Who Cares?) answered:

Screenname: cougar01


Nothing to worry about, I grew up in a neighborhood of boys playing basketball, football, and baseball, and I'm not butch.

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A Career Woman (Female, 29-35, Who Cares?) answered:

Screenname: nicky711


no way, i was a total tomboy. was ok with being dirty, went looking for bugs, etc. and i didn't even do any of girlie stuff til i was older. and i turned out to be a total feminine girl, loves boys, all the latest fashion, etc. u got nothing to worry about!

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A Thinker (Female, Miami, 56-65, Other Profession) answered:

Screenname: englishrose4945


I certainly would not worry about her at all!!! Simply means she has a very wide range of interests and that's good. Later on in life she may be sqimish about the worms...if not maybe she will be some sort of scientist!!

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A Creative (Female, New York, 36-45) answered:

Screenname: swemur1


that is a good thing ,better than a whinney priss all my girls grew up fishing and outside geting dirty and they are perfectly normal.always let thel explore and find what they like and are interested in not ewhat society says they should be..much happier kids that way,

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A Sweet Sarah (Female, 36-45, Other Profession) answered:

Screenname: sailormoon


Please, allow her to be as she is.there s nothing wrong in being curious and free.

Would you rather have one of those little girls who start to scream when they have a little mud on their hand?

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A Mr. Nice Guy (Male, Boston, 29-35, Financial / Banking) answered:

Screenname: newnumbersguy32


Worry? I don't see a worry in any of it. She's a bit of a tom boy. Its all good. I'm guesing she has brothers...

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A Cool Mom (Female, 36-45, Lawyer) answered:

Screenname: carinabay


I wouldn't worry if I were you. My older daughter (now 9) was never "girlie," didn't like dolls or makeup, has always preferred dinosaurs and dragons, etc. She is sort-of a tomboy, but she is not "butch." My younger one (now 6) was always the princess -- loved dolls, dress-up, etc. For years would wear nothing but the color pink and dresses. She now has branched out a little and likes to wear shorts and play with bugs and stuff like that, but she is still *all* girl.

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An Alternative Girl (Female, 22-25) answered:

Screenname: octopussy


I was just like that when I was 5. So don't worry!

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A Life of the Party (Female, Indianapolis, 46-55, Administrative) answered:

Screenname: kmf1


She probably just likes all animals. Get her a nice kitty cat to play with. I played with all animals when I was young, and now I am scared to death of half of them because my mom use to yell at me and tell me I would get bit, etc.

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A Thinker (Female, Who Cares?) answered:

Screenname: pres


my intelligent, beautiful niece is a self-professed girlie girl, princessly and what not, but she used to be soooo fascinated by ants and would spend alot of time on them.

but one day, when show the pic of the internal organs of the body, she says she feels nauseaus n true enough, then retched, cos her imagination is hyper (shes got a fine brain n great memory)

so playing with these things are what her mind can handle..cos she loves nature!

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A Thinker (Female, San Diego, 29-35, Other Profession) answered:

Screenname: silver75


Maybe she is just naturally interested in nature, insects/animals and biology? Not necessarily just a "male" interest. Don't worry. I played with my brothers as a kid. We shot bb guns (still do), bow and arrow, wrestled, played video games. And I am NOT butch, lol.

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A Cool Mom (Female, 46-55, Self-Employed) answered:

Screenname: makinit40


Sweetie stop worrying. I have a BIG football playin' 16 year old son named Lou. His brother and sister used to have him get dressed up like a girl and put a wig on and they called him Lou-Ann. Thought he would be scarred for life....

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A Thinker (Female, Cleveland, 29-35, Student) answered:

Screenname: seductivepisces9


I do not recall it being written anywhere that girls need to stick with girlie things and boys need to stick with manly things.

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A Life of the Party (Male, Denver, 36-45, Financial / Banking) answered:

Screenname: heyzeus


My five year old daughter (pic in profile) is purely girley and she plays with worms, sticks, rocks, bugs of any sort... she is by no means 'butch' at all. I don't think you need to worry.... Your daughter is just doing what she wants and is unaware of any gender related predispositions.

heyzeus

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A Creative (Male, 46-55, Transportation) answered:

Screenname: joseraul


**SHE IS GOING TO BE A "GREAT BIOLOGIST"..........!!!

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A Thinker (Female, St.Louis, 29-35, Other Profession) answered:

Screenname: michellekia


Hmmm..this is "normal" behavior for a 5 year-old..even a girl..

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A Creative (Female, 36-45, Student) answered:

Screenname: fastball


It's normal for 5 year olds to explore every avenue of interest and from what it sounds like, your daughter is exploring her interest in lizards, worms, etc...that's what kids do and that's how they figure out what they like and what they don't...she's just wanting to see the world and explore it in her own way...:)

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An Engaged Girl (Female, 46-55, Teaching) answered:

Screenname: pandorasfault


You would squelch your daughter's curiosity about the world around her because it's not "feminine" to be interested in nature?

This is so wrong in so many ways, I don't even know where to begin, but the problems are all in you, not your intellectually curious daughter. Back off before you destroy a good mind with an oppressive, limiting, stifling gender ideology.

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A Guy Critical (Male, 26-28) answered:

Screenname: lobsterdude


You don't get to decide who your kids are. Just make sure they are intelligent and kind and let them live their lives.

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A Sweet Sarah (Female, Boston, 18-21, Student) answered:

Screenname: deeppowder519sl


Um, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I used to love weird things when I was that age, like creepy crawlers, playing outside, and wrestling. I turned out ok?

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A Trendsetter (Female, 22-25, Science / Engineering) answered:

Screenname: scorp86


I was a Tomboy, played sports, had pet lizards, got dirty.

I'm as feminine and straight as a women can be!

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A Cool Mom (Female, 46-55, Self-Employed) answered:

Screenname: gettinslim45


Worms, lizards, frogs, fish, moths. That's what little girls are made of too!. lol

I don't think you have anything to worry about.

It's just part of being a kid and learning about the world.

;)







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A Cool Mom (Female, 46-55, Self-Employed) answered:

Screenname: gettinslim45


Worms, lizards, frogs, fish, moths. That's what little girls are made of too!. lol

I don't think you have anything to worry about.

It's just part of being a kid and learning about the world.

;)







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A Sweet Sarah (Female, San Francisco, 46-55, Consulting) answered:

Screenname: tinkerbelle22361


You have nothing to worry about. I am ultra-fem and as a kid I used to ride my motorcycle to ballet.

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A Hippie Chick (Female, 29-35, Student) answered:

Screenname: alva


I think she sounds like a really healthy 5 year old girl, and I think you should be proud of her. My little girl screams the most terrifying scream if she has a most insignificant little insect on her or advancing towards her.

they're all different,but your little 5 year old sounds like manage just fine handling life's diversities.

XXXX

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A Player (Female, Miami, 29-35, Medical / Dental) answered:

Screenname: drlisaberry


I am the girliest girl around. I am career Barbie...lol.
I used to catch worms, snakes, lizards, frogs, fireflies, etc.

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A Thinker (Female, 29-35, Medical / Dental) answered:

Screenname: steff1973


I caught frogs my entire childhood, and fish and crayfish and such, and today I am happily married with 2 kids, boys thank god because I am not always girlie to this day. Perhaps she will be an entymologist.....

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A Guy Critical (Male, Oklahoma City, 36-45, Who Cares?) answered:

Screenname: roll2tide


I would say not only should you not worry but you should encourage it. Encourage her to pursue her interests no matter what they are. it builds confidence, encourages learning, and may help to break some of the stereotypes about what girls should and should not be doing.

As a father of a 4yr old girl (and 1 yr old boy and 13 yr old girl) I am constantly taking my daughter outside and talking to her about science stuff like bugs, how trees/roots/the sun work, what causes rain, and we google planets and lots of space stuff.

And this is a child that normally wears a princess play gown 20 hours a day and gets into her older sisters makeup.

At our house if they ask, I teach.

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A Creative (Male, San Francisco, 26-28, Internet / New Media) answered:

Screenname: foonlord


sounds like she's gonna be a cool chick to hang out with in 13 years. i wouldnt worry.

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A Thinker (Female, Chicago, 18-21, Who Cares?) answered:

Screenname: zaza8819


You might have a future scientist on your hands. =) I would encourage her to pursue the things she's interested in while, at the same time, exposing her to things she may not have considered herself. The main thing is to give her options but to let her make the decision on which ones to stick with.

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A Mr. Nice Guy (Male, New York, 36-45, Managerial) answered:

Screenname: tnix123


At this point in her life you need not worry at all. She will change so much by the time she is even 8 years old.

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