“Though she be but little, she is fierce.”
All the strong-willed quotes apply to my daughter. As well as the claims that the strong-willed children are the ones who become the adults that change the world. In my mama heart, I know that all to be true. One day she will, in fact, change the world: but for now, she’s just my 7-year-old baby girl. And I’m asking the world to take a deep breath and give her a little extra space for her extra big presence. She’s loud, temperamental, often obnoxious, unintentionally rude, and occasionally disrespectful. She rolls her eyes without hesitation, and she sometimes talks back no matter how many times we correct or discipline her. She’s often hard to understand, but we’re trying our best. She’s my 2nd born. She’s being raised in the same household as her over-achieving older sister. Although she may have the same parents and the same rules as her big sis, please don’t compare the two. She is NOT her sister, and we don’t expect her to be. So, you shouldn’t either. Although my girls may be very similar in most cases, in personality… they are complete opposites. My wild child just marches to a different beat: her own beat, and we are proud of that.
Let me tell you about my daughter.
She likes 90’s boy bands and 70’s rock. She wants to watch scary movies but is afraid of the dark. She loves water slides but refuses to learn how to swim. She likes to play sports but wants to learn every Tik Tok dance. She wants Drunk Elephant and Lululemon, but still loves to play with Barbies and baby dolls. She wants to hold her little brother, but also give him to someone else. She wants everything spicy, but not “too spicy.” Her favorite colors are orange and black. Her favorite Disney princess is Jasmine, and her favorite movie is West Side Story. She doesn’t wear sweaters when it’s cold and insists on wearing pants when it’s hot. Her socks never fit, and her shoes are always too big. Her pants are too tight, and her shirts never match. She will occasionally let me fix her hair, but only if I straighten her already straight hair.
In my opinion, she’s a born leader. She isn’t a people-pleaser, but people have always naturally gravitated toward her big personality. She can sometimes be off-putting, but to those who love and understand her, embrace her imperfections and quirkiness. She’s impulsive and resilient. She is an open book, and you can read all her feelings on her face. She hides nothing and is ashamed of less. She gets frustrated easily and often gives up when she doubts herself. But she will surprisingly excel at the unexpected and pushes herself when you think she’s had enough. She’s always been this way, and I don’t expect her to suddenly change overnight.
She’s still my baby.
Although she’s my toughest child, she’s also my sweetest. She’ll be the first to brush my hair or kiss my cheek. She genuinely cares about her friends and others. She’ll be the first one to check on someone not feeling well or draw a “Get Well Soon” card. She never forgets anyone and makes an impression on everyone. She may test her father and I daily … but she’s still my baby girl and always will be. I just ask everyone to be a little more understanding. Please, be patient with her! She’s truly something special, and I wouldn’t change anything about her. Watch out world, because she was born to move mountains! Just wait and see!
