Feminism chat thread II

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

Since it looks like the first chat thread is about to fill up, here's the next one all ready and waiting.

Think of it as the gated commune with babysitting on demand and gorgeous poolboys serving the drinks :o

Can I just take a second for a mini-rant?

Why are there so many threads which are thinly veiled excuses for women with sons to slag off little girls? And yet I haven't spotted any going the other way - a thread where loads of women pile in and say "boys are shit". But it happens all teh time about girls. And this is coming from women, who were once girls themselves. I don't get it.

Yes, you may, SQ.

Although I have to say I haven't seen any myself, and you'd think I'd be supersenstive to them, having four girls myself. But maybe I just don't happen to open the threads.

Oh don't get me started SQ. Little girls described as manipulative, devious, drama queens, cliquey etc. All words only ever used to describe women and used on 4 yr olds FFS. Hate it, hate it, hate it! Just want to run screaming on to those threads to stop with the stereotyping and nastiness and projecting adult behaviour on small children! I hate seeing words used to describe adult behaviour being used to describe any children's behaviour anyway but it does seem to happen more in the case young girls.

I feel real rage when I hear that girls are apparently bitchy and cliquey. I just feel so sad for my wonderful children who have got to live with that horrible 'stigma' when they are nothing like that at all, and neither, thank goodness, are any other of the little girls I know.

Many threads seem to pretend to be about how boys are rubbish - but are actually about how girls are rubbish. They all start bemoaning some apparent "bad" boy behaviour or saying that everyone they meet says how much they hate boys (really???) and everyone comes and sympathises and it's onto how all little girls are devious bitches in about 6 posts.

I honestly haven't seen a thread with that reversed. I have seen many threads which trot out stereotypes in both directions but none with mothers of daughters all getting together to say really nasty things about boys.

I'm on that one englebert

Why would anyone say "I'm so glad I have (whichever one but usually boys)?" On a parenting website? It seems so odd.

I'll start one, shall I?

"I'm so glad I have girls because boys smell"

That's shit, Engelbert.

That is horrible engelbert.

Engelbert - that sounds awful!

SGM - that sounds awful too! Punching your DD in the face - poor girl.

"At the same time, as an adult, he will be scary." Do you think his pattern of behaviour for the rest of his life is already set at 5 or that as his parents haven't been very effective so far they aren't likely to be any more effective when he gets older and so his behaviour will just get worse and worse? (Genuine question btw).

Perhaps asking her not to bring him will be a wake-up call for the mother?