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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Casper Libero chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
In childhood, girls must discover early on what it means to be a girl, not out of obligation, but so they can grow confident in who they are and become confident, free, and full of personality.
It’s at this stage that they begin to form their identity, understand their emotions, and express themselves through play, gestures, and imagination. Playing, after all, is an act of freedom; through play, they build the entire path that awaits them.
Play and imagination
Playing to reinforce children’s imagination is essential as they grow and develop. That’s why it’s important to know how to have fun alone. “I play with my dolls,” said Anne, 6, with a smile on her face, remembering the dollhouse she recently received. And is completed by the 11-year-old Maria Angelina: “sometimes I play ball, sometimes I play with my stepfather, play writing game”.
But interacting with other children and having fun together is essential. Playing mommy and daughter is Anne’s favorite game, reminding them of the love and affection they receive from their mothers.
Being in touch with friends, they all emphasize, is the most fun. “I like to play hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, capture the flag, and dodgeball with my friends.”
Inspiration
When watching cartoons as a child, children often find inspiration in their favorite characters. As Anne says, with drawings she makes thinking about her favorite character, “I really like the joy, the fun. At my school, after lunch, we go to the classroom and grab the free paper, and I like to draw sunsets on the beach.”
Maria Angelina, with her love for Chiquititas, creates hairstyles inspired by her favorite character. “I like Mili and her hairstyles. I do them because I saw her doing them.“
Women who inspire them are usually their mothers. As sisters Flávia and Lívia, ages 11 and 7, said: “what we love most about her is cooking.” Anne also shares something in common, but she also remembers the difficult way her mother works from home, which she says she doesn’t understand. “I like it when she’s at work; she always writes something that I never understand because it’s impossible.”
“My mother is a very hard-working woman, very careful, very attentive. She doesn’t let anything go by; she always gets things done. And she has many good qualities,” said Maria, showing how proud she is of her mother, knowing that she wants to be just like her in the future.
Being a Girl
One question that left them a little unsure was “What does being a girl mean to you?” But that’s okay, they’re still discovering the world and themselves. The important thing is, even without answers, they know how to recognize and know their essence.
Maria shares part of her favorite skincare routine: “I really like getting ready, but I stopped wearing makeup because I discovered I have an allergy. But when I do get ready, I put on perfume and lipstick.”
Lívia loves her long hair, and it’s her favorite part of her skincare routine: “I like doing my long hair.” Her sister Flavia adds, “I also like putting on dresses and accessories.”
“I always saw my mom getting ready to go out, my grandmother, and my sister. And I wanted to get ready too“, says Maria, always inspired by her mother. She also shares the values she learned – already – from a young age: “For me, being a girl means being careful, taking good care of our bodies, playing, behaving, playing girly things, playing with girls, it doesn’t matter if I play with boys, but for me, that’s it.” And Livia adds: “I can put on makeup, have a skincare routine, and have a quinceañera party.”
Being a girl is, after all, growing up discovering the strength, sweetness, and beauty of being who you are without rushing, not having to follow a standard, just being yourself.
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The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
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English (US) ·