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Original poster

Am I missing something? How To Raise a Feminist Son?

29 replies

BaggyCheeks · 26/07/2017 23:29

www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/upshot/how-to-raise-a-feminist-son.html?mc=adintl&mcid=keywee&mccr=EU&ad-keywords=IntlAudDev&kwp_0=452740&kwp_4=1656246&kwp_1=712261

This article has been doing the rounds on my Facebook feed the past week or so, and I dunno it just strikes me as "women stop what you're doing and focus on boys". A lot of the examples would be better focussed as gender stereotype criticism rather than calling it feminist.

OP posts:
Original poster
BaggyCheeks · 27/07/2017 00:03

That's kind of my (obviously more poorly made than I thought Blush ) point. There's nothing on that list that shouldn't already be happening.

I also have a son as well as a daughter and I've always been very careful to make sure he's brought up to be accepting of differences, especially as he started school.

I dunno I guess I've been feeling very tired out by all the gender stuff that seems robbed dominating things and my initial reading tonight made me think that it was another way of focusing feminism on men.

OP posts:
itstoolateforthisbollox · 26/07/2017 23:42

I don't see the problem, its all fairly obvious but relevant and useful.

I've got sons as well as daughters, what do you think I'm doing that I need to "stop what I'm doing and focus on boys"? And why would you have a problem with me putting some thought into raising my boys as well as my girls?

DJBaggySmalls · 26/07/2017 23:40

I didn't see anything on the list that wasn't basic good parenting. It doesn't take into account the huge impact that peer groups have on kids. If you have any doubt about it, consider that our kids have the accent of their peer group, not their parents. That is the group they need to fit in with.

TragicallyUnbeyachted · 26/07/2017 23:38

I don't see why it's "women stop what you're doing and focus on boys". It's not saying you need to go out and wildly procreate in order to have and raise feminist sons; it's not saying you need to devote your life to finding small boys and inspiring them. It's aimed at people who already have one or more sons and who are already raising them as part of their existing balance of stuff they are doing. The only way in which it could be "women stop what you're doing and focus on boys" is if you assume that mothers of boys currently stick them in a cupboard under the stairs and chuck them a chicken leg from time to time, so putting time into talking to them and reading with them will be a huge additional burden.

It's all pretty obvious stuff, admittedly. But it's not a bad checklist for someone who has very small children.

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