Tips for Raising A Girl

Over four years ago she arrived. When she was born I may not have said it out loud but I continue to say to myself  “Don’t screw her up”.

Since the day that pink bundle was resting on my chest, the weight and enormity of raising a confident, plucky, strong girl has never been far from my mind.

These days, with social media, celebrities who weigh almost nothing, mean girls, and Kim Kardashian breaking the web with her rump, parents of girls have their work cut out for them. I have my work cut out for me when the pages of magazines hold pictures of almost naked women, their oiled hineys and sky high coifs.

Lately, I have found myself quietly watching my little girl slowly transforming into a young lady and if I’m being honest, that transformation has me scared. I am worried about getting her ready for the real world.

I fear about what if I forget to tell her something? What if I miss an opportunity to impress upon her the importance of never buying sheets with less than a 200 thread count? What if she leaves my house without ever having learned how to make the perfect turkey like her dad?

There are just so many things I want my daughter to know. Like…

1. Girls should never apologize for saying no. 
2. Every girl should own one couch that they picked out with no one else’s opinion except their own.
3. You may love him now, but his mother loved him first. Respect that.
4. Knowing how to cook will save you hundreds of dollars in your first apartment.
5. Tampons suck. Periods suck.
6. When money is tight, peanut butter has protein, oranges prevent scurvy and $10 bottles of wine are necessary.
7. Life is too short for cheap haircuts and flimsy pink razors. Pay extra for both.
8. Every girl needs a good pair of tweezers. Because of chin hairs.
9. The man to marry is the one who will stand next to you, not in front of you.
10. Shoes and handbags ALWAYS fit. So buy the good ones.
11. Nothing makes a woman look more in control than a well cut dress, spike heels and red lipstick. Work it. Even if you think your hips are too big.
12. There will be women who will judge you, challenge you and try to break your spirit. Ignore them. Smile at them. Pity them.
13. If you are going through it, your mother probably did, too. Ask for her advice.
14. Be who you want to be, not who people tell you to be.

And this list is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn’t even get into the merits of binge watching Netflix after a stressful work week, the necessity of  chocolate or the fact that her thighs won’t always look like they do when she’s sixteen.

I have so very much that I want to tell her, that I don’t want to forget to mention. To somehow make it easier for her to grow into the woman I know she’ll become.

Every time I look at her, I am in awe of her. She tries so hard, wants to do great and is trying to understand the world. I am speechless as I watch this beautiful creature grow right before my eyes.

Fortunately, I still have a few years to remember what I want to say.