While growing up, or watching your kids grow up, were you ever told or heard someone else being told they do something “like a girl”? Think about what the person who was saying that meant with those words. Was it that they were kicking, running, or hitting impressively and with force? Probably not. Most likely the teacher, coach, parent, or peer meant they were performing below average or in a way that would be considered by that person to be weak.
But why does doing something ‘like a girl’ have to mean doing something poorly? It implies that acting like a girl or being a girl is something to be ashamed of, to try to change. And is that the message we want to be sending to our young girls as they become young adults? Definitely not.
I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure not only do I hit like a girl and run like a girl but I also wake up like a girl, brush my teeth like a girl, and go to work like a girl- because I AM a girl.
We need to be raising our girls to be proud of who they are and what they are capable of. Young girls should recognize all that it means to be a girl. Because being a woman is a beautiful thing.
When most people are asked who the strongest person they know is, a lot of the time their answer is their mother.
A woman.
A strong, independent, resilient woman. So next time someone tells you that you hit like a girl, thank them because they just complimented you. And encourage them to think about the meaning behind their thoughtless statement because their beautiful, strong mother raised them- like a girl.
This issue is finally brought to the world’s attention in an inspiring and powerful ad by Always.
Click below to watch:
No comments:
Post a Comment