I was a tomboy. I relate to her opinions at that age. I finally started getting more feminine in jr high. I remember having to wear a dress every day that my basketball team had a game. At first I hated that, but not for long. I think I reached the perfect balance around 9th grade.

I am in my 50s now and I have to say, it has been very useful to have some masculine traits all these years. I am assertive, physically very capable and active, and have leadership skills. These are not necessarily masculine traits, but interests and physical abilities can vary within all the categories, right? I think the more diverse traits and abilities we have, the better. That way, we can utilize whichever skill works best in each situation.

I can hike up steep mountains, then sit at the top and meditate and pray. I can nurture my husband and kids, then go out and dig a trench for a drainage pipe. I can emotionally empathize with my senior physical therapy patient, then hold up a tall, heavy man while he learns to walk again. I can behave like an athlete, then dress up and let my husband take me on a date, opening doors for me.

Please do pass on to your niece that having no interest in female things at a younger age doesnt stop her from being very balanced in her later teens. And please tell her that those more masculine traits she has just makes her better at managing more kinds of challenges throughout life.