Daughters are complicated, and for good reasons too. Think back to when you were a girl growing up. Chances are you had to dodge family members asking you about your wardrobe, your dolls, or asking what you want to be when you grow up, only to express their surprise at anything that wasn’t a nurse or a teacher.
Thankfully, times have indeed changed, and our daughters’ prospects are an improvement on our own. Even so, there’s no denying that the next generation of young women still have to contend with a fair amount of external pressure to place themselves in one of two camps: are they a girly girl or a tomboy?
With all the confusion and expectations placed on your daughters, it’s clear to see why finding the perfect gifts for her can feel like a more than daunting task, especially if she’s coming into her tween or teenage years!
Today we’ll be exploring gift ideas for girls who fall on either end of the tomboy-girly girl spectrum, as well as all the girls who may find themselves more towards the centre of this spectrum. Read on to help find the perfect gift for your daughter’s next birthday, Christmas, or any other upcoming celebration.
How to find where she falls on the tomboy-girly girl spectrum
Of course, before you begin looking for gifts, it may be worth communicating with your daughter and getting a sense of her interests. For instance, if she’s a fan of Disney Princess films and Pokemon alike, then chances are she could be right in the centre of the tomboy-girly girl spectrum.
Another great way to get a sense of your daughter’s personal interests and how she sees herself, is to look at the clothes she picks out for herself either in her day-to-day or even when she’s playing dress-up. If her favourite colours are pinks or pastels, and these same colours make up the majority of her wardrobe, then chances are she’s on the girly girl end. If she enjoys being in pants or shorts over skirts, then she’s likely to be a tomboy.
That being said, even a girl who dresses like a girly girl can have a dynamic array of interests, ranging from natural sciences like geology, to automotive engineering, to animals, just as tomboys can be interested in traditionally feminine things like sewing or other fabric crafts! Rest assured, there are gift ideas out there for girls who may outwardly appear to be a girly girl or a tomboy, despite their personal interests suggesting otherwise.
As for girls who are firmly on either end of the spectrum, there are more gift ideas to choose from than just Disney princess gifts or Pokemon gifts alone. Here are just a few gift ideas that you may consider for your passionate tomboy or proud girly girl.
Top gift ideas for girls who don’t like ‘girly’ things
Tomboys are generally not fussy when it comes to gifts, so long as the gifts you give them transcend traditional gender roles. That being said, there are different kinds of tomboys out there as well, so it’s worth considering what your daughter’s personal interests are when finding her that perfect present.
If your daughter’s particularly sporty or outdoorsy, then a new basketball, hiking pack, some running shoes, or perhaps even a pair of roller skates or a skateboard, may make great gifts to present her with at her next birthday party. If she’s less outdoorsy and more artistic, then an easel and paint supplies or a musical instrument like a ukulele, a keyboard, or something unique like a kalimba, may bring a smile to her face.
For tomboys who are into more STEM-oriented interests, some at-home science kits like a microscope or chemistry sets, may become some of her most beloved gifts this year. Robotics kits are also growing in popularity amongst boys and girls alike, and are likely to be very well-received by any girls with a keen interest in Star Wars or engineering, or both!
If you’ve found that your daughter responds positively to a wide range of presents and may feel hurt by extended family or friends gifting them traditionally ‘girly’ gifts, then it may be worth discussing a ban on gendered gifts for your next family Christmas, just so the gift-giving habits you’ve developed with your daughter’s self-identity and personal tastes in mind, are supported both in her home environment as well as in her wider community.
Top gift ideas for girls who love all things ‘girly’
If you have a certifiable girly girl on your hands, then you’ll be happy to hear that the majority of gift ideas for girls that are available on the market today are likely to take her fancy. From princess dresses and dollhouses, to animal plushies, chances are you won’t be able to go wrong with any gift, that is if your daughter is still at an age where all of these gift ideas don’t feel too ‘kiddy’ for her.
If your daughter may want a gift idea with more substance, however, then you could opt to gift her something artsy or even STEM-oriented. Gift ideas like embroidery or jewellery making kits can help introduce your daughter to complex crafts that she may find a genuine lifelong interest in. Similarly, science-oriented gifts like crystal growing kits or backyard biology handbooks, may also help your girly girl develop a handful of new interests that may help shape her as she grows into young adulthood.
Girly girls may also greatly appreciate healthy and beauty gifts that are designed for children, think natural lip glosses, hair styling kits, and even make-up. If you are looking to introduce your daughter to make-up by giving her her very own eye shadow or blush colour palettes for her next birthday, it’s well worth ensuring that gift is accompanied by a conversation about how to wear make-up in a healthy and empowering way, and for all the right reasons.
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Although the tomboy-girly girl spectrum is still very much a construct that young girls are expected to adhere to as they grow up, the existence of this spectrum shouldn’t dictate how you go about making sure that your daughter or daughters grow up with self-confidence and self-assuredness. You can help your daughters develop a foundation of confidence through the gifts you give them. So why not give them gifts that both respect where they may place themselves on the spectrum, and support them as they grow up and leave this spectrum behind?
After all, that’s what most if not all modern little girls want to be when they grow up: wholly themselves.
