Back when I was 8, I wanted to be just like my dad (before finding out his actual personality). I wanted to have the bodily characteristics of an AMAB person if that makes sense, IDK how to word it. I wanted to be mistaken for a boy, do the stereotypical boy things, reject makeup and dresses, and I went through a “girls stink” phase like some young boys did. I wanted my hair cut short because it made me look like a boy and even wanted to wear my dad’s clothes simply because they were “men’s clothes”.
“Girl" didn’t feel right to me but growing up in a certain kind of family, all I knew was the word “tomboy”, so I used that. But my family tried to convince me I was the most feminine girly girl, and that just wasn’t me. It felt wrong.
you sound like my wife and she is still like that. Its hard to explain because she will do whats expected. So like around the house whe will not wear dresses or anything but at work or parties or such she will. We are both kinda by the book like that but im more likely to do what I want if there is no specific rule where she will more likely take into account norms.