Almost no one likes it when their sons bother their daughters. Boys can be rough, mean or just plain cruel to their sisters. Sometimes, especially if they are older than their sisters like my son Jonathan is (he’s 10, his middle sister Elena is 6 and Briani is 1), you have ensure that your son doesn’t bug his sister too much, or worse, hits her.
No parent ought to tolerate that a brother hits his sister (or vice versa) but I want to tell you that I think it’s really good that he bothers her. Why would any parent ever endorse such a thing, you might ask? The reason I think it’s good is because I think it toughens our daughters. Too many times I see parents treat their girls as fragile porcelin dolls. That’s too bad because I’ve lived long enough to tell you that, based on my experience, girls who have brothers that actively bothered them growing up have a stronger chance of having healthier marriages and attitudes towards men. (Yes, my brother and I have a younger sister and it’s served her well in life).
My son can be a big pain with his sister Elena, often times making fun of her or just plain provoking her so she gets in trouble with us. But do you know what has happened? Elena has developed a stronger personality for it. She’s learned to fight back. Sometimes Elena will even throw a proverbial rock across Jonathan’s head and hide her hand. The spunky little thing is a foot shorter than her brother but she is looking more and more like she’s ready for the major leagues of life. Unbeknownst to them, brothers who constantly bug their sisters are indirectly helping them develop a stronger understanding of what makes men tick. They’re making them more resilient. It makes me silently pleased to see Jonathan bothering Elena but don’t tell either of them that 🙂