1. Why does she love/hate pink so much?
You might have a box full of gender neutral toys because you refuse to believe girls and boys are wired according to stereotypes. Or you might be a full-on girly person yourself, with dreams of matching mum-and-me outfits. Whatever you are, it's pretty guaranteed that your daughter will be the complete opposite.
2. Why aren't girls taught separately to boys?
Girls do everything at an earlier age and academically they are flying by the time boys have worked out the alphabet. You wouldn't dare say it to mums of sons but those boys just disrupt everything! If only they could be taught in segregated classrooms and come together at play time. Hmmm, I wonder if we should look into single sex education.
3. Where on earth did she learn that dance?
The sexualisation of children is a scandal. You monitor videos, you celebrate brainy women and regularly point out beauty is only skin deep. But you've just caught her grinding like Miley Cyrus. Your urge is to hit the roof but she's only experimenting and it's her right to do that. Society has the problem, not her.
4. Will we ever agree on a hair style?
You've just mastered the fishtail plait thanks to a YouTube tutorial but does she want that anymore? No. She wants it dip-dyed pink. Say no and she'll want it even more. Say yes and she might turn into one of those people with a tattooed face. Say 'let's put it on the wish list' and hope she forgets.
5. When should she have her own mobile?
Security is all-important but if she's got a phone, she could end up in a chat room talking to God knows who, posting a photo she later regrets or being bullied online. Should you snoop? Well, not really. But a little. Just to keep her safe.
6. What the hell is wrong with her?
Moody, belligerent, sarcastic and ungrateful. What happened to my little girl? Hormones, that's what. Don't worry, she'll be back. In about 20 years when she's a mum herself.
7. What am I going to do when she blossoms into a young woman?
One day that rounded girl is going to melt into long lithe limbs. She won't be a girl anymore. She'll be gawped at by men and you'll look at a photo of the pair of you and marvel at her beautiful skin and cry at yours. Bask in her glory, that's the only way to go.
8. How do I warn her about what men want?
You desperately don't want to frighten her. And men are not all the same. She adores her dad and she's just started going on dates with some very nice lads. So far she seems to have a sensible approach to boys. Who knows she might even be the heart-breaker. But chances are she'll meet someone who's only interested in one thing and that means you'll have to admit a smidgeon of prior knowledge in that department to warn her to check his motives. That's the plan anyway because you weren't exactly brilliant at that.
9. What if she accidentally gets pregnant?
Mums of boys simply don't have to worry the way mums of daughters do. Whether she's in a stable relationship or not, it's the woman who has to carry the burden. The father can be around but is that necessarily the best thing if they're both young? The bottom line is we'll support you 100 per cent whatever you choose. But even though that's the case, it doesn't stop us worrying ourselves stupid.
10. I wonder if I'll be a grandmother?
Look, we all want our daughters to be happy, successful on their own terms and smashing glass ceilings but secretly we also want grandchildren. Not that we want to let on to her in case she feels pressurised. Try not to go misty-eyed when her friends start having babies. And hide all the stuff you've saved from when she was a baby until she's almost ready to pop.