My daughter is almost 8 and I've started to notice it's time to teach her the basic things of being a girl. You know, the things that your mother teaches you as you go along so you feel ready for the transition to womanhood (and eventually motherhood)?
My mother never taught me any of that. She was too busy running from imaginary soccer mom assassins. A point for you, schizophrenia.
My older sister taught me a few things. She taught me things like if you wear Chapstick you should smear it from your nose all the way down to the tip of your chin. She would buy beautiful clothes for me in her size. She wouldn't allow me to put on my makeup in the bathroom (although she did because she needed hers perfect), then she would laugh that it came out all streaky since there was no light in my room. Hmmm, maybe those weren't the right things after all.
So I've gathered tips through the years on the right way to teach her things and I'm working on starting the process. I've already taught her the basic things she needs to know, like using a spray bottle to help brush your hair in the morning to keep it from sticking straight up, flossing, brushing her teeth and not using soap in certain areas of your body, and of course the most important "no one touches you without your permission" talk.
I'm working on a bigger library of tips. A friend taught me a tip to get the tangles out easier by using a few drops of olive oil and combing it through. Works like a dream. I'll have to devote more time to research. We aren't far from talking about bras and boys and my information stores are woefully low.
You may have taken my mom from me, but you didn't succeed in taking the mom from my daughter. So that's a point for me, schizophrenia.
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