Packaging Girlhood: Rescuing Our Daughters...

[The Review Mommy]

I thought this was interesting and would like to share it with all of you.

The Early Show (read the artice and watch the video here)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1868423.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1868421.shtml

Book at Amazon
Packaging Girlhood by Sharon Lamb, Ed.D., and Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031...e=UTF8&s=books

What do you think?

Rebekah

[Lovingliv]

I am hoping and working towards raising a strong, empowered girl. A girl who loves herself, knows that she can do anything she wants and that manages to keep her sense of "self" forever....
It is so hard to raise kids these days with all of the stereotypes and gender issues that go along with it all. It is hard for these kids to know who they are. That's where I come in. She will be constantly reminded that she is a strong young girl who can where pink tutus, and play with trucks. she can nurse her baby, or fix her cars....

[rupptopia]

I don't have a daughter (yet, you never know!) but I know it would be difficult to raise one in today's environment. I hear it from friends of mine with little girls all the time - wondering about their DD's obsession with "being pretty." And trying to find play clothes for little girls w/o showing their belly or goofy sayings on them . . .

Really interesting reading, thanks for sharing.

[Lovingliv]

The pressure that we as society put on little girls and women is disheartening. I went to pick out a birthday gift for a six year old yesterday and my sister said "ohh, I bet she would love make-up and barbie stuff."

I went with a TON of crayola markers, glitter pens, pencils, crayons, paper and DIY for kids projects!

[Jenn98]

Great minds think alike! ;) I really struggled with finding a gift for a 4 year old and ended up with a great book (Mud Pies and Other Recipes: A Cookbook for Dolls) and a porcelan (sp?) tea set in an effort to encourage creativity and imaginative play(we'll see if it worked!). I fear what the future will bring in the form of gifts for my DD. She's just 12 months but we have already started fingerpainting and I was shocked at how many people at a recent BBQ we had said that was too early. She loved it! Anyway, I agree that you can never go wrong with art supplies!

[MayB]

I was so excited when I found t-shirts for girls that said "Future President" and "Super Genius" on them instead of "Flirt" or "Princess". I bought them in three different sizes for my DD. Why don't more companies make them?

[elliput]

12 months is definitely not too early to start finger painting, IMO. I have a picture from daycare of my DD at age 5 months finger painting while doing tummy time on a boppy. It is a great sensory activity! :-)

[brittone2]

DH and I have long talked about how difficult it is to raise a DD in today's society. Now we're expecting one, and life is kind of scary!!

I'm currently reading "Reviving Ophelia" which is really an interesting read. I've had it on my bookshelf for a long time and once I found out we were having a DD, I felt a strong need to read it. A book I read last year was Consuming Kids (Susan Linn I think is the author?) and that has a lot to do w/ how sexuality is being marketed to little girls, younger and younger, and very deliberately.

DH and I are already trying to figure out the nuances of a few things w/ raising a DD...dressing her, etc. I'm fine w/ dresses and pink provided she can choose other options. DH is a little less sure ;) We've both agreed that any clothing that has "princess" or "loves to shop" on it will immediately be burned in front of the gift giver ;) LOL.

I have several nieces, ranging from 3.5 up through their later teens, and it really has been eye opening to watch them grow up. THe obsession with clothes, makeup, boys, sexiness is FAR FAR beyond what I recall going through at that age, and i'm not that old (late 20s). I mean, they literally spend hours doing makeup and hair per day, on a regular basis. I know teens tend to be insecure, but they seem sooooo very insecure, no doubt as part of the "you have to look like a model at all times" message that is being pounded into them everywhere you look.

My parents went to pick up my niece's half sister from school one day (she's 16) because she wasn't feeling well. They were simply appalled at what they saw. In front of their eyes they saw girls getting their butts grabbed, and a boy pulling down a girl's shirt to look down it, all within a few minutes. Reviving Ophelia talks quite a bit about how boys today really use these tactics as intimidation...it goes well beyond raging hormones. It is done more maliciously, kwim? Oh, and they heard girls being called "slut" etc. in the halls, a few feet from teachers that didn't seem to care. They aren't in a "bad" school district.

I remember a lot of this from my own teen years, but I think it has gotten much worse, and far scarier. Thinking of my nieces going through this, or DD going through it one day absolutely sickens me.

Interesting thread...thanks for posting it. I'm trying to work through a lot of my own thoughts about this issue right now. It is a major area of concern for me.

[Tracey]

I remember seeing those t-shirts! Do you still have the website?

[MayB]

Sorry, I actually found them at a babygap outlet. I'm not sure if they were ever at the regular gap or not.