Uh Oh.

I have failed as a mother. I have failed as a feminist - in fact, if my 15-year-old-radical-self could see me now...Never mind bra-burning, I think I would be getting toasty hot right about now. Let me explain.

It is not Lucy, her doll. It is not her ideal career choice for when she grows up (although we have managed to modify that a bit...Her ambition is now to be a singer, a dancer, a doctor. And a cleaner.) It is not her devotion to all things pink. And sparkly. And Princess-y.

No, the real reason I have failed is that today, completely seriously, she told me that girls were not as smart as boys.

I was trying to get her to stop using this irritating baby voice she has picked up. "Me want this.." She lisps and coos, and I twitch.

Anyway, I sat her on my lap and asked her how old she was.
"Three"

I asked her how old she nearly was.
"Four!"

I then said that she was big and strong and bright and funny and smart and Nearly Four. And big, strong, bright, funny, smart girls who are Nearly Four don't talk in baby talk.

She looked at me incredulously and said "I am not smart. I am a girl!"

WHAT?? Where the hell did that one come from???

I went through a list of all the smart women she knows (me, Sarah, Noonah, Dr Kris, Jellybean etc etc) and she wasn't having any of it.

Although come to think of it, perhaps she thinks I mean smartly dressed, rather than smart referring to intelligence.

Ah ha! That's it. And when I explain it to her that smart can be smartly dressed as well as intelligent, she have two meanings for one word. Which, if you ask me, is pretty smart.