. . . rather than focusing them on society’s empty trivialities such as glamour and becoming eye candy for men.
See The 5 Kick-Ass Women This Mom Dressed Her Daughter As Instead Of A Disney Princess
The only change I would make in the examples presented in the article would be to toss out Coco’s cigarette and add a civil rights activist such as Angela Davis or Rosa Parks.
Okay, I’ll stick my neck out here and go further than the article. At a much younger age for both girls and boys, I suggest orienting the TV programs they watch to subjects about nature (especially non-animated nature) and various subjects of science and cultures. As well, I suggest toys of a more intellectually-nurturing nature such as animals and science oriented toys, puzzles, and games. Avoid toys for boys such as guns, military hardware, and weapon/war figures. Avoid toys for girls such as fluffy dolls and tea sets.
As I’ve mentioned before, along with all this, it is important to teach them empathy for others and the value of sharing.
And before you mothers out there take up torches and pitchforks and come after me for stereotyping mothers, I know that there are many mothers who do much, if not all of the above. You, I salute! You are the path to a better future.
The Benevolent Thou 
May 15, 2015 @ 13:59:15
Well how cool is that? And the month can teach their daughters about all these great women while they’re doing it.
By the way, if you’re going to dress your daughter as a Princess, you might as well play up the empowered part of it, I figure. Because princesses will become rulers.
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May 21, 2015 @ 14:52:37
Sorry to be so long in reply. I’ve gotten WAY behind doing yard work and minor construction, as well as still working on a rather robust post on social justice.
Hmmm, I’m sure there are many mothers who follow that philosophy and are, themselves, very accomplished. Bravo. May they all become so focused. And, I wouldn’t leave out the influence of the fathers, though on a secondary level.
I, by the way, am solidly against beauty contests, especially for little girls. Have been for many years.
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May 19, 2015 @ 00:18:39
If we don’t teach boys how to be disposable and violent, how can we defend ourselves?
If we don’t teach our girls how to mother, how can we create families?
I’m only asking these things half way tongue in cheek, by the way. 😉
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May 21, 2015 @ 14:59:46
Haha! I figured you were being satirical even before I read your last line :D. Sad thing is, however, that many dads and moms actually do think that way.
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May 21, 2015 @ 22:38:29
Haha. Yeah, it’s about half and half.
On one hand, I did reduce the “traditional roles” argument to its very nasty sounding essence.
On the other hand, nasty sounding doesn’t make it invalid. Who will die to protect us? Who will compromise their career to raise the next generation?
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May 26, 2015 @ 13:43:49
Women are versatile and men can be as well. Both, I think, could raise families and have a career–just not make the career their first love.
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May 29, 2015 @ 18:50:38
I am among the most cautious of helicopter moms but even I’ve had to relax on the toy guns. A mom friend swore that if boys had no guns around they’d just use their fingers: it’s in their DNA. Pretty incredible, really, how many seemed wired for what is loud and dangerous. Doesn’t mean we encourage it. We have shown him footage of Pearl Harbor in keeping with the homeschool lesson on WW2 and he was saddened. He was reminded war and battle are no joke. As for the games and puzzles you speak of, in the time that other kids are whiling away their brain and youth on inane games and cards of their favorite cartoon characters, T has been memorizing the timeline of human history and hundreds of important facts in six other subjects. Just turned 8. So as not to burn him out, he also gets a blank sheet of paper and a pencil…to allow his imagination to go to work.
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Jun 06, 2015 @ 22:20:46
Your friend is right about a boy’s tendency to aggression. There certainly is a genetic basis for it and corporations through television and games encourage a child’s natural aggressive tendencies, highlighting specific weapons of choice for profit.
Likely it is impossible today to circumvent that sort of thing. I think you are doing the very thing that must be done to differentiate the “gore and horror of war” from the imagined “glory of war.”
I think all parents should follow your method. Show their children the ugly facts–especially in relation to what war has done to wounded veterans, mentally and physically.
That he is so interested in history and other serious subjects is a testiment to your excellent parenting. You have my admiration. 😀
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