Sippy Cups

So, last night, Sprout and I were wandering through Target. She needed new sippy cups. So, we found the right section and then my dilemma began. There were "boy" colors and "girl" colors. I needed some take and toss cups (we reuse them until they fall apart or are eaten by the dog, by the way). I picked the green and blue ones over the pink and purple. No biggie.

Then it got harder. For the fancier cups, one set had pink flowers and the other had cars and trucks. The flowers were way cuter, but I felt like I "should" buy trucks. I was seriously frozen. What do I do? Eventually, I found the easiest solution to the problem - let Sprout choose! She chose the flowers and that's what I bought.

I have these moments all the time. I want her to know that it's okay and wonderful to be a girl, but know that she doesn't have to be limited to "girl" things and "girl" colors. I want her to be confident and empowered and I realize that what sippy cup she has when she's less than 2 years old will not make or break the values she has as she gets older. But I also know that the little things are sometimes the most important. That's where we send the most powerful messages about what we really believe. So, I probably fret too much about the colors of sippy cups and place mats. I just want to keep a check on myself so that she always knows that the whole world is open to her.