Lynda Loveland: Tomboy troubles

What’s an 8-year-old girl who doesn’t like girly things to do?

Campbell stopped wearing dresses the second she realized what they were. I think she was 2 ½. She’s always been more interested in the rough and tumble world of the boys than the glitzy and gilded world of the girls.

She has friends that are girls, but she just prefers to play with the boys. But that’s becoming a problem. The boys she’s been playing with at school, a few of them, are starting to push her away. There is a bit of a power struggle going on with one of the boys, but I think a big part of it is, the boys just want to hang with the boys.

This “struggle” though is turning into a feud and it’s just not pretty. They both do things to irritate and annoy each other. Her teacher made the comment that they would either kill each other or get married!

I told Cam to find something else to do. She just ends up by herself at recess.

She’s tough as nails. She just wants to play soccer with them. But sparks end up flying and I’m not talking about the good kind!

It breaks my heart to see her like that. She’s not happy and I don’t think the boy’s happy. I want to magically fix it for her but I can’t. All I can do is offer advice.

Have you had a child in this position?