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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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female leads for toddler

43 replies

BonnyE · 20/09/2019 20:42

Hi. Not sure if posting in right place, but felt appropriate. Any suggestions for tv and books with female leads suitable for toddlers (DD is 21 months).
Currently loves Bob the Builder* and it was DH who questioned if we should try and find other programmes with females in centre roles (to complement Bob, not replace of course). Also loves books so thought I'd broaden the question.

  • not intended to be debate about screen time. She watches CBeebies very occasionally and I'm very selective! Grateful for any suggestions Thanks
OP posts:
GrinitchSpinach · 20/09/2019 20:54

Dora the Explorer (the original, not so much the sexed up tween “Dora and Friends”)

Will think on books...

Yogobo · 20/09/2019 21:04

The Maisy (mouse) books perhaps

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 20/09/2019 21:08

Doc McStuffins. Girl who runs a clinic for 'sick' (broken) toys.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 20/09/2019 21:09

Katie Morag books are lovely - picture books about a little girl living on a Scottish island. Probably more for slightly older than 21 months, but good for pre-schoolers.

Pippi Longstocking (in due course - also, it's decades since I read them so might be worth checking this).

Also for slightly older children - Rugrats was on when my children were little and as far as I can recall that featured both girls and boys and the girls weren't token characters.

TheSheepofWallSt · 20/09/2019 21:10

Sarah and Duck.
Sarah is v good role model. Also not an annoying watch for parents- I quite enjoy them myself.

WTFdidwedo · 20/09/2019 21:11

Mine loves Sarah and Duck.

PhonicTheHedgehog · 20/09/2019 21:12

Cressida Cowell
That Rabbit Belongs To Emily Brown.

Also her other Emily Brown books-Elephant Emergency, Cheer up your Teddybear and one other I forget the name of.

I read the Paperbag Princess to my children when they were quite young but maybe it’s better for slightly older children.

Princess Smartypants books

hormonesorDHbeingadick · 20/09/2019 21:13

Zog book. Princess Pearl wants to be a doctor but her uncle the king says no and locks her in the tower in the end it turns out princesses don’t have to wear pretty dresses and they can be doctors.

SittingAround1 · 20/09/2019 21:22

Masha and the bear.
The Meg and Mog books are good.

FWRLurker · 20/09/2019 21:22

HILDA

Itallt0omuch · 20/09/2019 21:23

Hey duggee has two female leads. And it's funny.

partysong · 20/09/2019 21:24

Bits and Bob?

Furchester hotel

Mine loves Molly and Mack but it's not really a toddler programme

Kittywampus · 20/09/2019 21:30

Books with female lead characters:

The gruffalo's child
Paper bag princess
We have a version of the three little pigs where the third little pig is a girl

I sometimes change book characters from boys into girls when I read them out loud

EmilyStar · 20/09/2019 21:33

Bitz and Bob is good but I think it’s aimed more at the older pre-schoolers.

Catie’s Amazing Machines - this is really more of a documentary series about machines - on CBeebies - but my toddler loves it.

Sarah and Duck is great.

Grimbles · 20/09/2019 21:35

Maya the bee

HeyMicky · 20/09/2019 21:35

Peppa
The Little Princess
Nelly and Nora
Sesame Street (lots of female characters)

When she's a bit older:

Doc McStuffins
My little pony
She-Ra
Shimmer and Shine
Angelina Ballerina

BarbaraStrozzi · 20/09/2019 21:36

The worst princess

Rubbish prince rescues her from one tower only to lock her in another, so she teams up with the dragon and escapes, setting fire to the Prince's underpants in the process.

InvisibleWomenMustBeRead · 20/09/2019 21:55

Peppa Pig
Dora the Explorer
Doc McStuffins

StealthPolarBear · 20/09/2019 21:57

Is the thing with raggles the rabbit still on?
Also when she's a bit older, brave

3mks · 20/09/2019 21:58

Little miss books

Guess with Jess has a mix of characters, and was science based but is not on now.
Alphablocks also mixed.
Older kids:
I can cook
Nina and the neurons

I often change the characters to my kids name tho so at that age any book could be about either sex.

StealthPolarBear · 20/09/2019 21:58

Everything's Rosie

FannyCann · 20/09/2019 22:14

For tv/dvd my girls loved Balamory and Come Outside which was quite educational and I don't recall any obvious sexism in either programme.

I fact DD1 loved Come Outside with Auntie Mabel, her dog Pippin and her plane so much....one day I accidentally locked myself outside - I called in through the letter box - get a chair...climb up...open the door...but we'd been waiting for Come Outside to come on and she heard the music and plonked herself down in front of the TV oblivious to my entreaties. Ended up very embarrassed, as local fire station regarded an unsupervised toddler as an emergency and deployed a team to break in...Blush

Also much loved, the Chatter Happy Ponies, they had a very droll sense of humour - programmes featuring animals don't tend to be sexist as far as I can remember. I assume all these are available as dvd these days.

Books - love Katie Morag. And lots of books by Debbie Gliori - not particular female roll models but again, animal neutrality on the whole.

powershowerforanhour · 20/09/2019 22:15

Another vote for Katie Morag.

DoctorAllcome · 20/09/2019 22:21

Lauren child’s books are really good.
Clarice Bean that’s me
I will not ever never eat a tomato
Pesky rat
Etc

DarkLikeVader · 20/09/2019 23:02

Puffin Rock is lovely. Masha and the bear as mentioned, Dino Dana perhaps?