\u201c\u2018What grade is your son in?,\u2019 a mom at the gym asked. \u2018My daughter is in 4th,\u2019 I casually replied. *Insert uncomfortable apology from stranger* I assured the woman that it was OK and not to worry about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It didn\u2019t really seem to bother my daughter. She was kind of used to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Funnily enough, when she was a toddler, she had lived in princess costumes, and pink tutus were busting out of every drawer. Even though kicking a ball and swinging from monkey bars were always favorite pastimes, back then, frilly accessories were plentiful, and pants were obsolete. (Flashback to hog-tying \u2018said\u2019 toddler to put on pants when temps dropped below 40 degrees)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast forward when she was a few years older\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She still liked to accessorize but it transformed into the form of mismatched Star Wars or Harry Potter socks, sports tights and trucker hats, often looking like a cross between a circus performer and skate rat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was just being herself, and preferred green and navy over pink and purple, and basketball and Ninja Warrior over ballet and Barbie\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wore board shorts and skull caps. She road skateboards and razors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And, you know what? I didn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was curious. Adventurous. Empathetic. Fierce. And kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I believe a kid can be all of those things. They can wear pants or bows, do pirouettes, shoot hoops, or a combination of all those things and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being authentic is key. And learning it at a young age is golden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since becoming a teen her style and interests have once again evolved, and changed but one thing has remained the same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this kid and others in her generation, it\u2019s not about \u2018being\u2019 shoved into a box or defined as being girly or a tomboy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n