I'm no authority on this subject. Is anyone? I used to get sucked into believing that everyone knew more than I did about how to raise a girl. I threw away parenting books almost as rapidly as I bought them. One day, I filled the trunk of my car with parenting 'help' books and puttered off to a book donation drop. I resolved to never again rely on a stranger's advice regarding my kids. And I haven't.
I have formed some opinions. On how to raise a girl.
Girls are not toys. They have formidable talents and intelligence. They are capable, enterprising, tenacious and ambitious. However girls choose to expend their energies, let's make one thing perfectly clear. Girls are not toys. They are valuable in their own right. They were not created to meet the needs or expectations of men.
Girls have options. None of those options should include dependence upon men or a self image linked to how many men a girl can attract. From the clothes designed for girls, the movies, television, advertising - daily, the message to girls is that attractiveness is their sole important asset. If a girl can't snag a man, she's somehow deficient. Stomp out those messages. Don't let that attitude anywhere near a girl.
Girls deserve and should receive a complete education in their chosen field. It's the best insurance policy around. Acquiring training and expertise means self determination and self-satisfaction. It also means that a girl is self-reliant. When push comes to shove . . . . . . . wait. Nobody pushes or shoves a confident, self-reliant girl around.
Girls don't want to be lifted on a pedestal by men and worshipped as a 'goddess'. Girls want to be treated fairly in the workplace, at home, and at Church. A girl who is confident in her own abilities, skills, and intelligence will be equal to anyone whatever the circumstances.
A girl who knows that she is not a toy weighs her options on an even playing field. She knows she is worthwhile and of infinite worth. She is educated and confident. That's the kind of girls I raised when I threw out all of the parenting books. Good luck to everyone lucky enough to have a girl.
Oh. And one more thing. Remember that one day your girls will be your best friends.
I have formed some opinions. On how to raise a girl.
Girls are not toys. They have formidable talents and intelligence. They are capable, enterprising, tenacious and ambitious. However girls choose to expend their energies, let's make one thing perfectly clear. Girls are not toys. They are valuable in their own right. They were not created to meet the needs or expectations of men.
Girls have options. None of those options should include dependence upon men or a self image linked to how many men a girl can attract. From the clothes designed for girls, the movies, television, advertising - daily, the message to girls is that attractiveness is their sole important asset. If a girl can't snag a man, she's somehow deficient. Stomp out those messages. Don't let that attitude anywhere near a girl.
Girls deserve and should receive a complete education in their chosen field. It's the best insurance policy around. Acquiring training and expertise means self determination and self-satisfaction. It also means that a girl is self-reliant. When push comes to shove . . . . . . . wait. Nobody pushes or shoves a confident, self-reliant girl around.
Girls don't want to be lifted on a pedestal by men and worshipped as a 'goddess'. Girls want to be treated fairly in the workplace, at home, and at Church. A girl who is confident in her own abilities, skills, and intelligence will be equal to anyone whatever the circumstances.
A girl who knows that she is not a toy weighs her options on an even playing field. She knows she is worthwhile and of infinite worth. She is educated and confident. That's the kind of girls I raised when I threw out all of the parenting books. Good luck to everyone lucky enough to have a girl.
Oh. And one more thing. Remember that one day your girls will be your best friends.
Love it!
ReplyDeleteI guess your daughter is your best friend after she drove you crazy with her world travel, and you got revenge on her by your time in India. :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, if we only knew when our children were small what we can now see in retrospect I think we would have all done things differently. Somehow the Lord trusts his precious children to inexperienced parents and somehow most of them do OK if those parents try.