Proceeding from a narrative multidisciplinary doctoral thesis, this article examines some of the strategies implemented within Ontarian French speaking households in an effort to socialize girls of French-Canadian ancestry to femininity. Revealing of the gender archetypes instilled under the influence of dominant cultural and institutional ideologies (ex. traditionalist, modernist, and globalizing discourses on the Franco-Ontarian identity), the autopsied memories are recounted from the viewpoint of six white adult participants who grew up in the Ottawa area (ON, Canada). The following themes emerge : markers of a tomboy identity ; maternal control over choices regarding clothing or hair and weight ; concern over appearances for the purposes of social legitimacy and belonging ; and gendered distribution of domestic roles and responsibilities. Recommendations are then issued for the attention of researchers, professors and workers in the field of social work.