Do Girls Really Have More Fun?

Yesterday Ben, Janae and I were looking at pictures and came across one from Auntie Tina's wedding. Anita and I, wearing our bridesmaids' dresses, were standing with Tina, giving her a hug from both sides. Janae, who has lately become obsessed with anything "pretty" or "beautiful" was commenting on the dresses in the picture, so I went to my closet and got out the long blue satin bridesmaid dress I'd worn. Janae then went and got one of her "fancy" dress-up dresses and wanted to put it on.

It was then that Ben said, "I want to dress up in a fancy dress, too." I told him he could dress up in his "fancy vest and tie." But Ben replied, "I wish I could be a girl . . . girls get to have all the fun."

 

Benjamin has expressed this point of view a few times before, and it is not difficult to see why. Since birth he's been surrrounded by fun-loving girls who like to laugh, dance, and dress up--they go to ballet, put on performances, and make up plays. They make being a girl look very fun.

 

And now there's Janae with her necklaces, dolls, and fancy dress-up dresses. Putting on a dress is a lot more transforming than putting on a vest and tie. Of course there are cowboy hats, pirate costumes, etc., etc.--we just haven't collected any yet--and (being a girl from a family of all girls) I don't know if they would hold the same magic.

 

So, what did I do? I let Ben put on the dress.

He smiled so big that I almost started to cry--it's not fair; girls do get to have all the fun, at least when it comes to dress up.

I didn't take a picture, but I wish I had.

It's funny, though, I always thought it was boys who had all the fun!