Free to Be - My Daughter and Me

One of the messages of Free to Be You and Me is just that, we are free to be who we are. In the book girls can be athletes, doctors and eaten by lions. Really. If you don't know the book, you are missing a key story line.

The girl eaten by the lions is a girlie girl - always wearing dresses and shiny Mary Jane shoes. She insists that girls should always go first. "Ladies First! Ladies First!" she declares as the lions are deciding who to eat first. They oblige her request. And end up wearing her dress. And her shoes.

So it is a bit mystifying how my 4-year-old daughter turned into a girlie girl. I don't wear make-up, can't be bothered with heels higher than an inch and don't always wear twirly skirts. My daughter plans her princess outfit the night before, talks non-stop about her boyfriends, and wouldn't play with a soccer ball unless it was pink.

How did I make this child?

But I was reassured when she announced over the weekend her following life ambition -

"When I am a mommy I am going to wear a jog bra, shorts and sneakers and run marathons."

You go girl. And I hope that jog bra is bright pink - or whatever color you love.

Just make sure you run from the lions. I don't want them wearing your jog bra.