Girls

this is how you appear to be very pleasant to everyone around you. this is how you should act towards my friends. this is how you must eat when guests are around. never chew with your mouth open. this is how you live a good life. this is how you a successful. this is how you be the best christian possible. this is how you wont end up in hell, you dont want to end up in hell do you? this is how you can be trusted by us. this is how you will be a good child. this is how you wont get grounded. this is how you wont get sent away again. and how we wont be worried about you anymore. this is how to be a good girl, mallory! this is how to be a respectful woman. a good respectable christian woman. and thats how to not be trusted, and thats not what not do. but this is how you shoudl think. this is how you should be sympathetic and nice to others. this is how you should treat your sister and this is how you should feel when you do something wrong. you better feel that way when you do something wrong! this is what happens when you mess up. this is how you disappoint us.

i dont know if i did this right - not specifically related to gender. but more towardsmy family - though it does have to do with gender, compared to the way my brothers were taught and were treated. there was definately more focus on me - and my respect as a woman. i think my parents assumed that boys would more go their own way - find their path, but for me they feel the necessary to be hunched over my life, watching me and my moves and making sure i am staying out of trouble - just in case. my brother got engaged when he was 16. if i ever did that they would never trust me again. they would be so disappointed. but maybe since my brother is a boy - he was trusted more - his decisions and his independence.