“How to raise a feminist in 6 not-so-easy steps”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/05/how-raise-feminist-6-not-so-easy-steps/312228002/
Raising a feminist is no easy feat. Here are a few challenging steps that will be life changing for your children.
The hardest of these suggestions, at least I think, is to fight stereotypes. This begins with us. We must reject all stereotypes including our own. Challenge what you know and teach your children to do the same. Do not pass down the judgements you have been taught: it will defeat your purposeful thinking. The world is full of stereotypes, do not be afraid to point them out. Acknowledge “all (blank)” statements and prove them wrong. Do not attempt to avoid stereotypes altogether, because you will fail. Our culture is cluttered with them, and it is up to you to see them and tell your children about the faultiness of them. It is so important to acknowledge not avoid! Please remember this.
Moving on is the tip to let your children form friendships with the opposite gender. Enforcing same-sex only friendships enforces gender stereotypes. The article discusses birthday parties and the importance of inviting children of the other gender. Teaching your children to become friends with anyone helps teach them the uniqueness of everyone. It does not limit their understanding of other people. This helps them get to know people of all different backgrounds and interests. This is crucial to understanding others and gaining a greater perspective. Being a feminist parent means letting your children make their own decisions (within reason.) It is important to encourage friendships with people of another gender, so that they know they are not limited to hanging out with people of their “likeness.”
Yet another battle worth fighting is “pay(ing) attention to what happens outside your home.” While we know we cannot complete control the influences put upon our children, we can still counteract them. Take school for example. It is commonplace for textbooks to focus on the men in history and neglect the women. We cannot necessarily control what our children are taught at school, but we can control what they are taught at home. It is important to help kids fill in the gaps. Say they learned about the Civil Rights movement at school. They know Martin Luther King’s name, but what about Rosa Parks and other female advocates? Pay attention to what your kids are learning, and do your best to include all sides of the story, This should help equalize children’s understanding of both gender’s ability.
The last step this article suggests is to “follow your child’s lead.” This applies to things like toys. Do not focus on the “gender” of the toy, but your child’s interest. If they are a boy and they like to play with “girl toys.” Let them! But do not force them. Give children equal opportunity when it comes to selecting their interests. Do not let them or yourself be misguided by the label. Give them a variety of toys to begin with, then as they select their favorite, tailor to that rather than matching gender of the toys. Let kids be kids. Tailor their life to them not to a stereotype. A feminist parents will always promote the child’s desires over a stereotypical idea. This kind of thinking will only benefit your child and give them a greater shot at success.
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