The curriculum this week is focused on female role models. This subject matter has been a part of the curriculum for decades now. When we reflect on where the curriculum started we can’t help but think about a very different world. When I started playing little league baseball in the early 1970s my team broke a barrier by… gasp… allowing a girl to play. This year a woman became the General Manager of a Major League Baseball team. In addition to that feat, lifespans for women in the US reach new highs on a regular basis, women routinely run major corporations, women as a percentage of workers in STEM fields has continued to grow steadily, and 36 years after first appearing on a major party ticket we finally have a female Vice President. While all of this is positive news for gender roles and reflects the progress that has needed to happen with regard to women for millenia, there is still a ways to go. Having worked with global engineering teams I have seen repeatedly that when it comes to educating and empowering women, other countries are far ahead of us in many ways. Quality early childhood education plays a role in creating change, but it isn’t the only thing needed. As parents, you have a role to play in fixing the issues that remain and closing the gaps not only between men and women, but also in a US workforce that competes internationally.
Regardless of gender, encourage curiosity in your children. Giving children an opportunity to discover the world through exploration is a way to ensure they gain positive and deserved shots of self-esteem. We see the “face of discovery” on children on such a regular basis that it is tempting to come to see it as simply routine. But we won’t let it become that. The self-confidence that comes from exploring, failing and ultimately succeeding and learning on your own is fundamentally important to creating amazing adults who are eminently capable. Girls can get that feeling by scaling a climbing wall and boys can get it by baking a perfect tray of brownies.
Be deliberate in countering messages that suggest girls and boys have to take on certain roles or be prescribed people. These messages are still far too abundant. We are pretty big advocates of freedom in the truest sense and believe wholeheartedly that roles in life should be chosen freely. Ultimately work is a given in our lives and finding our interests (as well as being open to change them when needed) is a key part of development. If a child is fortunate enough to find their path at a young age – regardless of gender – we see a very bright future for them. If someone tells them they have to do something different because of their gender – then we are heartbroken that such attitudes still exist.
Present a variety of opportunities to your children to experience the world. Again, this is regardless of gender. If you read this blog regularly you will pick up on a central theme. That theme is action. DO something. Hike, camp, explore nature, build a dedicated space for exploration, grow some food or flowers, cook some food, go to a ball game, play catch, ride bikes, learn a hobby together, take pictures, learn new jokes to tell, insert your own idea here. Just ensure that you are providing the variety of experiences to your child that will help them see that experience itself is not gender centric.
If you are able, take your child with you to work or show them what you do after regular working hours. Many places have a bring your child to work day – but check with your boss and see if you can bring them along on a day where you know it will be practical. This isn’t about getting your child to be what you are, but rather about showing them options. Children between the ages of 5 and 12 do particularly well with these experiences. Younger children may take it as a sign that they can come to work with you every day, so be wary of your child’s developmental stage when you do this for the first time.
Every word in the prior paragraphs is directed equally at girls and boys. Ultimately equality of outcomes begins with equality of experiences, expectations and opportunities. As parents you are where the messages, experiences, expectations and opportunities begin. Make the most of it so that when we look back in another couple of decades we see real equality rather than girls sitting in the back seat.
