My Mom always taught me girl things; cooking, cleaning and house keeping. Always said "boys need to know these things, too." Dad was never really that involved, just pushed school.
I was an only child and had time on my hands, so to speak. However my girl cousin always treated me like a sister. And her brother was always picking on oth of us. Maybe they saw something that was always there. And Maybe that is why they always called my "Johnny", kind of a girlish version of my male name.
Janet