6 June 2007

I read an article recently about how, at very early stages in development, a child will align with a particular gender and then her actions will reflect her belief that she is female or his belief that he's male. With Raina there is no question. She's a preening little girl. She likes to wear dresses, have her hair in pigtails, and look at herself in the mirror. A lot. Raina actually uses the word "mirror" at least once per day -- she likes to check herself out in a new outfit and she wants to watch herself brush her teeth. Actually, the phrase "new outfit" is one of the guaranteed ways to get Raina to take a bath. (Raina LOVES washing her hands, but despises taking a bath. We're not certain why.)

Now, Raina's parents are lackadaisical, care not at all about putting her in new clothes each day, and never -- I mean NEVER -- brush her hair. But we do want her to be happy, so we accommodate these slightly narcissistic behaviors, because they are cute.

Also quite adorable in the attempts are Raina's smiles. Her genuine smiles of mirth and merriment are a delight to see; her reactions to the instructions, "Raina, smile!" are mostly ridiculous and result in much adult laughter and groaning. Here is a recent example. Aargh, matie!



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