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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Feminism at 7

16 replies

reni1 · 18/04/2015 12:04

7 year old daughter is enraged that less than 100 years ago, women could not vote in the UK. Amazing to see it with the eyes of someone hearing this for the first time. I can't remember when I first understood inequalities. When and what did your dds see?

OP posts:
GoatsDoRoam · 18/04/2015 13:22

Don't have DDs, but I remember that age 6 or 7 was when I first got the feminist rage, too.

It's the age of reason, isn't it? So she's seeing something that is blatantly unjust, and is reacting as you'd expect of anyone with a moral compass. Good for her.

Original poster
reni1 · 18/04/2015 13:40

I'm amazed I don't remember those lightbulb moments from my childhood. Must ask my parents.

OP posts:
SeraOfeliaFalfurrias · 18/04/2015 13:53

My DD1, who is now 9.5, pays attention when I rant about feminist issues, thinks about them and has started to rant herself now when she sees inequalities. This has been the case for a couple of years. I'm pleased she'll be going through life with her eyes open as mine weren't truly opened until a few years ago when I started posting on this forum. My 7yo DD2, despite having heard the same rants, hasn't shown any sign of interest in feminism, which is fine, she's still tiny and doesn't think about the world as deeply as DD1. Both DDs will be raised in an environment where any inequality against women we see will be noted, questioned and discussed.

Cantbelievethisishappening · 18/04/2015 14:53

Mine will find out for themselves as they progress through life and make their own minds up. Projecting my opinions is not something I have done or plan to do.

Nyborg · 18/04/2015 14:55

Isn't parenthood full of "projecting opinions"? I don't want my baby son to grow up not knowing my opinion on right and wrong, good and bad, fair and unfair. He'll know that his dad and I despise racism, oppression and discrimination in all its forms by our words and our actions.

Cantbelievethisishappening · 18/04/2015 14:58

Let me re-phrase.... I do not plan to project my opinions on feminism.

BuffyEpistemiwhatsit · 18/04/2015 15:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cantbelievethisishappening · 18/04/2015 15:07

Both my DD are fully aware of and hold opinions on sexism Buffy They are both naturally curious and will often seek out information for themselves.

BuffyEpistemiwhatsit · 18/04/2015 15:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
reni1 · 18/04/2015 23:32

Somebody told my then 4 year old dd she was cute. I'm not cute, I'm awesome she gnarled back. I almost burst with pride.

OP posts:
Kampeki · 18/04/2015 23:45

My 9yo dd was absolutely fuming the other day when her best friend tried to justify the fact that women aren't allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia with the explanation that it was ok "in that culture". DD wasn't having any of it!

I am not aware of having projected my views. I do think that she has a mind of her own. :)

Oodlenoodle · 19/04/2015 07:41

Despite holding feminist views I still feel sad that even my 2 year old DD must have absorbed gender sterotypes already in some form. It hasnt come out strongly yet but she is insistent that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. The pink itself is only a minor one for me but the problem is that if she's absorbed that its a clear indication shes absorbed other things.

Kampeki · 19/04/2015 08:56

oodle, I remember being horrified when my then 3yo dd announced that my nephew would have to play the doctor because he was a boy, and she would play nurse because she was a girl! Hmm. This was despite our having a female GP and several female doctor friends. I just couldn't understand where the perception had come from, but clearly, the environmental influence is very strong.

Jackieharris · 20/04/2015 07:46

Thankfully my 7yo dd hasn't realised yet how much tougher life will be for her than her dbro. Sad

She is aware of the Disney princess effect though. Her and her friends rebel against it, thankfully.

I hate to think of the day when she realises how much her life will be constrained by her sex. She isn't a very attractive child but isn't aware of 'looks' or how girls get judged on 'looks' yet.

INickedAName · 21/04/2015 14:28

Dd 10 is the one who made me open my eyes. She asked why I spend so long getting ready to go out, putting on make up etc, why when I always tell her that looks don't matter, are they so important to me? There were other things going on in my life at the time, but not being able to answer question, really made me think about myself and the messages I'm sending her.

She gets angry too, but it's a confident angry, she isn't phased by confrontation, which, does make me worry about her in a way, there's so much horrible shit aimed at women online for disagreeing and I do worry about that further down the line sometimes, but I'm massively proud of her ability to say "that's wrong" and stand by it.

Honsandrevels · 21/04/2015 15:37

My dd1 is 6 and asked why Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins is singing about votes for women. She just kept saying 'but why?'.

We were reading a book last night - children of the noisy village. Some siblings were discussing what they wanted to be when they grew up. Lisa's brothers wanted to be an explorer and engineer (I think) and she wanted to be a mummy. Dh added in that Lisa also wanted to be a vet!

In so many books the mum is the drudge and the dad is at work. In Topsy and Tim books the playgroup children must leave uneaten food in their lunchboxes so their mummies know what they have eaten. Do dads not do packed lunches?

It is the drip, drip effect of all that that has 4yr olds thinking only men can be Drs etc. It's depressing.

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