Barbie Dolls and Dinosaurs

Emma is indeed growing up.

I know, i'm quick, aren't i? Nothing gets past this Mommy, eh?

Kindergarten is just a part of growing up, albeit a very big part.

Peer pressure or what your peers like or think is neat is a big part of growing up, too. I honestly didn't think what another kindergartner likes/thought was neat would have any bearing on what another kindergartner liked or thought was neat. I honestly thought that at the ages of five or six, you liked what you liked and that was that.

"Oh, no!" said the butterfly to the grasshopper....

Emma has a apple kind of book bag. It's not really a book bag, more like a bag that clinches that you can carry stuff in. It matches her lunch bag.

I'm matchy-matchy like that.

One day, i picked her up from school and she informed me that she maybe needed a new book bag. We used this apple book bag/clinchy bag and lunch bag last year for pre-k.

"What kind of book bag do you think that you would like, Emma?" i ask, fully expecting the answer of dinosaurs or tree frogs to be screamed from the back seat.

"I would like a BARBIE BOOK BAG, Mommy!" replies Emma in her most grownup voice.

Honestly, i couldn't have been more stunned surprised if she had answered that she wanted a Magic Mike (you know, that yummy movie with the male strippers?) on her new book bag.

A Barbie Book Bag?

Emma doesn't play with Barbies.

Emma doesn't play with dolls.

She plays with dinosaurs, farm animals, jungle animals, etc.

Not Barbies.

As soon as i managed to find my voice, i squeaked out "But Emme, you don't like Barbies. You like dinosaurs and frogs."

"I like Barbies, Mommy! And i lobe the color PINK. Barbie book bags are pink. So i would like a Barbie book bag, pwlease."

The only word i can managed is "oh!" so that's what i say and continue driving home, wondering if, by chance, i picked up the wrong little brown eyed, brown haired girl up from school. Maybe she was kicked in the head or something today at school....

When we get home, we have an ice pop together and chat about her day. We go outside with Pickles to look for acorns and chase each other around the trees. After a bit, we go back inside and Emma tells me that she is going to play in her room.

Which is a good thing, as i need a large drink diet coke and time to sit and think for a bit.

I hear Emma in her room, as she turns on her cd player and classical music comes tinkling through the air. And then i hear her start to chat to Pachi and her dinosaurs....and i realize something rather quickly. I bet he little girls in Emma's class have Barbie book bags!

AHA!

NO! Aha!

I don't want my girl to like things just because some other kindergartner likes them. I want her to like what she likes. I don't want her to follow on this. Really, how many grown women now like things because other women like things? And isn't this a little young to worry about liking what other friends like?

Dang it.

Why can't i be the Mother-Earth type and home school? Why can't i just be Emma's teacher? She only needs me anyway, right? Actually, that's not right. She needs others. As an only child, school is a fantastic place for my little social butterfly. Emma is in an amazing school system with a fantastic teacher who cares about her. She gets so much at school; much more than i could possibly pull off.

The next morning in the car on the way to school, i ask Emma:

"Sweetie, you know, everyone has different likes and dislikes. Just because someone likes Barbies doesn't mean everyone has to like Barbies. Some friends like frogs and dinos and some friends like kitties and doggies. Everyone is different! God made us all different, you know...."

"I know, Mommy, i know...." Emma responds like she really could care less

"I would rather you get a book bag that YOU love, not one that your friends would love." i tell her, looking at her through the rear view mirror.

"'Tay, Mommy. I wiff tink 'bout it," she tells me, kissing Pachi.

hmmm.

Okay, i guess thinking about it is a start, right? We aren't rushing out to go Barbie-Pink-Crazy, right?

What worry about is today, it's just about Barbies and Dinosaurs.

But what about later? What about when she's older? How to do you teach a child to stand up and like what she likes or do what she knows is right? I am sure that keeping dialog open between she and i is important....and honestly, i need to remember that even though she has an amazing teacher at school, Robert and i are her teachers, too...

....and it's one of the most important jobs that we will ever have.

Maybe i can find a pink Barbie book bag with a large, green Triceratops on it....