How I talk to my little girl

Amy suggested I read a post on Huffington Post regarding ditching stereotypes for women and girls, and it really was inspiring.

For those not interested in actually reading the great article, the synopsis is: don't talk to girls about what they're wearing/how cute they are/anything about outward appearances. Apparently half of girls between age 3 and 6 think they're fat, and saying, "Look how cute you are!" to a little girl just reinforces to girls that appearances are what matters most.

I am proud to say that even though I do compliment her on being cute, I always talk to Reese about how she is a silly monkey, how she is a happy girl, how she is a smarty pants.

And I'm not just paying her lip service.

She really is a silly monkey. Well, not a monkey, but she sure is silly. For example, tonight I asked her if she needed more water to drink, so she started to do quick little sips from her sippy cup and laughing right after. Of course I had to jump in and join her in her fun with my own cup of water, which just made her laugh even more!

And she is a happy girl. I used to ask her if she needed a nap, or I could tell she was tired because she would rub her eyes. Lately, though, I know it's nap time when she starts to get cranky, because that is so out of character for her.

Smarty pants? She knows how to pull out a chair, climb on that chair, and then climb from the chair to the dining room table! The amount of time I can turn my back on her is almost nonexistent anymore because she is learning how to get into EVERYTHING! But it's not a bad thing, because she is learning.

Oh, and she IS a cutie pie.