My only surviving girl (the elder died in 2003 at age 3 1/2), Ma. Angelica or Angel celebrated her 7th birthday last Oct. 1 with a simple salu-salo attended by some neighbors and relatives (from her mother's side).
Angel is envied for supposedly "papa's girl" who gets anything I can afford and gets away with minor infraction of house rules. Truth is, she is not. It is just that being a girl, I understand her being a girl-child. Why not, when I have been an advocate of women's and children's rights for long?
I would usually explain to her mom that I am not trying to spoil her. Actually her being close and sweet to me allows us a rather more open line of communication, so that I can easily understand her, and would know how to handle her emotions and angst.
Although admittedly, children who feel that they are so special would have a tendency to overreact by displaying some attitude. Occasionally that happens too with my Angel. But what is important is that even at her tender age, she enjoys the advantage, and understands the disadvantage of being a girl.
