During my first pregnancy I thought I was having a boy. I don’t know where that idea came from but I strongly believed it. In fact, I was so sure that all the clothing and accessories that I started buying from Kohl’s were for a little guy.
Well, that baby who wore boy’s clothes for the first days of her life is an eight-year old little girl now. She is loving and confident. I’m so proud that she’s becoming the kind of person that knows what she wants and understands the importance of being herself.
Her joy for life is contagious and her independent spirit is the trademark to become a girl that feels good about who she is. Life is at full color for this lady and you can see that in everything she does and even the kind of clothes she chooses to wear.
Ellie, my second child, is another kind of carefree spirit. Since an early age I noticed how she likes having a voice in making decisions. She is curious and bold at taking risks. Being her mother is not only exciting but is also energizing.
I love how Ellie is eager to try new things. She is so creative and likes thinking outside the box. For example, when Kohl’s invited us to shop for clothes, Ellie intentionally combined different colors and textures for the outfits she chose for herself. The clothes combinations ended up looking beautiful but I’d had never came up with those ideas by myself!
I have discovered that one of the best ways to help my children embrace their identity is providing the space to let them be. From the clothes that they wear to the kind of hobbies they choose to pursue, I want to make sure they have the freedom to explore life at their own speed.
Raising girls that embrace who they are is a fulfilling and a thrilling work. It requires perseverance and intention. As a bicultural family and bilingual family, I want to raise kids who are proud of their rich cultural background. In a diverse and complex world, these qualities are needed more than ever before.
The other night when I was getting ready to put the kids to bed, I was reflecting on how childhood goes by so fast. That golden time in someone’s life where identity and confidence are founded is incredibly short. As I looked at my girls bonding with a book and laughing together, my heart melted with joy for the kind of ladies they are becoming.
Although they are the same, they are also different in many other ways. I hope their similarities and differences are always a reminder to embrace who they are. And just like they enjoy choosing their own style of pajamas, I hope they always choose their own identity.
And talking about pajamas, aren’t those sets of pajamas beautiful? We love Carter’s clothing because it offers a wide variety of styles and I bet you would love it too! And even better yet, Carter’s has a sale of $10 off a $40 purchase with promo code KIDSALE10. The sale starts on March 17 and goes till April 2 at Kohl’s. Carter’s also offers a great variety of clothes for the little guys of your life. They are so fun and comfortable!
I love how you talked about giving them space to let them be! Yes! I believe this!
This is how my parents raised my sister and I. Mom is Mexican, dad is home grown Oklahoma boy. We were raised to appreciate both sides of our heritage, and to be our own person. Both of my sister and I became engineers, and charted our own paths in life. Keep doing a great job, mama!
Yes! Love that you are letting them be who they are. I am sure they love your support and freedom to be who they want to be. I totally agree that it is so important for their confidence.
I love this post! It’s great that you give them space to grow and discover their own interests, and I love that you’re raising them in a bicultural setting. A friend of mine and I were talking the other day about how we wished our parents and grandparents had incorporated more of their backgrounds instead of just ignoring our roots. Your girls are full of life and curiosity, and I particularly love the photos with the swing!