Feminism & Raising Boys

[AntiquityIsDotDotDot]

I see this pop up lots & it's also something that concerns me as I have two sons. I have certainly seen plenty of comments along the lines of feminism isn't about men when this issue comes up. But the fact is boys are children, not men, and we are raising them. Yes, a lot of unpaid parenting work goes into this & that is, in the end, working for men. But they are children, children disproportionately targeted by adult men for ridicule & corporal punish. Children also mocked by other women as well as men for perceived feminine traits.

One of my boys (and perhaps both) has autism. He will be more vulnerable to male violence as he grows up. Both will be confronted with the objectification of women & through no doubt inevitable exposure to porn be at least taught the hurt, shame & degradation of women should be what they find pleasurable.

How is parenting boy CHILDREN not a feminist issue?

I'm not sure I understand why preserving childhood innocence should involve ignorance- surely he has already noticed, even from stories, that some people are richer than others, for example? Once he starts school, he will very quickly become aware of different abilities- and they will have assemblies about raising money for comic relief and things like that. I think it's possible to talk about all these things in an age qppropriate way, so that noticing inequality becomes part of his mental furniture.......

We home ed at the moment. I really don't know if he conceptualises people being richer or poorer. I can't think of any stories we read that have that feature? We have one book which has a Queen in it but she's mainly notable for her poor table manners?

Re: Diane Abbott
In general I'd criticise a state school supporting politician who then sent their own dcs private. In her situation I'd make an exception and I do think the flack she got for it was racist.

It's come up in another thread that we (me included) aren't raising our sons to be potential sahps. I did give my dcs household toys as a pre schooler but the only way he'll do chores now is through bribery and even then will only do his own chores not general household stuff or anyone else's. I hate the thought of him growing up and expecting someone else to clean up after him!