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"I like this pretty boy!" declared my not-yet-3-year-old daughter, while having her dinner.
"What?" I asked bewildered. This is a conversation I was expecting in another 15 years or more or may be never.
"Which pretty boy?" I asked.
She smiled sheepishly and pointed her dad and replied "This pretty boy, this Daddy".
If she wears a frock, she calls it a pretty dress. Put on a headband or a flower clip, she starts dancing "That's Pretty!". So, I knew "Pretty" is something that she associates with something she likes. But "Pretty Boy" - that is a first. So, I asked her "Who else is Pretty?" She thought for a moment and said "Alan". She goes to a Montessori and her school is her little world. There are around 30 kids and 4 teachers in her class. She talks about her school, class, teachers and the other kids all the time. "Alan" is a boy in her class. I just rubbed off the grin from my stupid face and asked again "Who else?". She replied "Ben", another boy. "Hmph! Still not my name!' I wondered. Let's give it another shot. "Which girl is Pretty"?Well, that's my desperate attempt to move the pointer in my direction. She answered smiling without giving it a second thought "OLI". 'Oli' is her nickname, if you have not guessed it yet. She might have noticed the disappointment on my face. She added quickly "Miss Tim" and "Miss Sarah", two of her teachers, whom she adores.
I just lost any hope of getting a place in her "Pretty" list. But what struck me was that she did not mention her other two favorite teachers. So, I pushed "What about Miss Susan"? She just looked at me, surprised at her mom's ignorance and replied sincerely "Miss Susan is Good, No Pretty!" I was stupefied. So, my 2-n-something old daughter defines "Pretty" as something or someone whom she finds attractive! She believes, a person with a beautiful face is "Pretty" and a person with a beautiful heart is "Good"! I wondered "Where do I stand in her world"? Is it too early to tell her that "Beauty isn't about having a pretty face; It's about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart and a pretty soul"? Well, I am sure, she will figure that out on her own. For now, I need to concentrate on "What I want to be - her pretty mom or a good mom?" The answer is simple. I want to see myself at the intersection of "Pretty" and "Good" and to be the "Pretty Good" Momma."How to get there?" - well, that is a riddle I need to solve. Till then, here is a glimpse of my "pretty" girl and her "pretty" boy and me (not-so-pretty) behind the lens!
"What?" I asked bewildered. This is a conversation I was expecting in another 15 years or more or may be never.
"Which pretty boy?" I asked.
She smiled sheepishly and pointed her dad and replied "This pretty boy, this Daddy".
If she wears a frock, she calls it a pretty dress. Put on a headband or a flower clip, she starts dancing "That's Pretty!". So, I knew "Pretty" is something that she associates with something she likes. But "Pretty Boy" - that is a first. So, I asked her "Who else is Pretty?" She thought for a moment and said "Alan". She goes to a Montessori and her school is her little world. There are around 30 kids and 4 teachers in her class. She talks about her school, class, teachers and the other kids all the time. "Alan" is a boy in her class. I just rubbed off the grin from my stupid face and asked again "Who else?". She replied "Ben", another boy. "Hmph! Still not my name!' I wondered. Let's give it another shot. "Which girl is Pretty"?Well, that's my desperate attempt to move the pointer in my direction. She answered smiling without giving it a second thought "OLI". 'Oli' is her nickname, if you have not guessed it yet. She might have noticed the disappointment on my face. She added quickly "Miss Tim" and "Miss Sarah", two of her teachers, whom she adores.
I just lost any hope of getting a place in her "Pretty" list. But what struck me was that she did not mention her other two favorite teachers. So, I pushed "What about Miss Susan"? She just looked at me, surprised at her mom's ignorance and replied sincerely "Miss Susan is Good, No Pretty!" I was stupefied. So, my 2-n-something old daughter defines "Pretty" as something or someone whom she finds attractive! She believes, a person with a beautiful face is "Pretty" and a person with a beautiful heart is "Good"! I wondered "Where do I stand in her world"? Is it too early to tell her that "Beauty isn't about having a pretty face; It's about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart and a pretty soul"? Well, I am sure, she will figure that out on her own. For now, I need to concentrate on "What I want to be - her pretty mom or a good mom?" The answer is simple. I want to see myself at the intersection of "Pretty" and "Good" and to be the "Pretty Good" Momma."How to get there?" - well, that is a riddle I need to solve. Till then, here is a glimpse of my "pretty" girl and her "pretty" boy and me (not-so-pretty) behind the lens!
Posted in: MyBabbles
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