Well, so where does the debate of girl’s mom vs boy’s mom start from?
Being a girl and a boy in our society wouldn’t have been different if gender roles and patriarchy weren’t prevalent. If you are a girl in this society, you have to value izzat more than your dreams and aspirations. And if you are a boy, you have the freedom to chase your aspirations without any fear of being judged.
But is there a difference in the parenting of girls and boys? I would say no. Because if both girls and boys are raised equally, the difference between being a girl and a boy in society wouldn’t exist.
So here are the reasons why there should be no difference between being a boy’s parent and a girl’s parent.
1. Both girls and boys should be taught basic life skills
In our society, it is often said that girls must learn household duties while boys should learn to interact with the outside world. But it is time we unlearn these gender roles and teach both girls and boys to perform household chores and duties. Both should be taught to cook and earn so they can survive independently.
Recommended reading: 35 Essential Life Skills To Teach Your Child
Recommended reading: 5 Things To Teach Your Boys
2. Both boys and girls should learn about menstruation
Menstruation is seen as a girl’s matter alone, but it is not. If both men and women are taught about periods, it will be easier to remove the taboo around them. Because of the period taboo, many girls do not receive basic education, which affects their health, chances of being financially independent, and life in general.
According to reports, 23 million girls drop out of school due to a lack of period hygiene, awareness and availability of sanitary pads. While girls should be taught not to be hushed about periods, boys should be taught to not see periods as a shameful or bad thing. Both girls and boys should be taught that periods are a part of a woman’s biology and it has nothing to do with their purity.
Recommended reading: What To Tell Your Son About Periods?
3. Both boys and girls should be educated
Education is every person’s right, whether a girl or a boy. Some people think that education is only a boy’s right while education for girls is optional. This is the reason why the female literacy rate in our country is among the lowest in the world. In fact, research has proven that the female literacy rate in our country, which is 60 percent, is 22 percent lower than the world’s average.
But this is a gender-biased mindset that considers men as breadwinners and women as domestic workers. So, a parent must educate both boys and girls without differentiating between them.
Recommended reading: Never Say These To Your Daughter
Recommended reading: Say No To Gender Based Parenting
4. Both boys and girls should be given sex education
Sexual harassment happens with both girls and boys, so it is wrong to think that only girls need to be educated about self-defense, consent, and other aspects of sex education.
Both girls and boys should be taught about the importance of consent, bad touch and good touch, and self-defense. In this way, both boys and girls will learn not to disrespect the other sexually.
Recommended reading: Teach Your Child About Good Touch And Bad Touch
Recommended reading: Top 5 Books To Teach Your Child About Consent
5. Both boys and girls should be taught to treat each other with equality
Equality begins at home. If parents teach boys and girls to respect people of every gender, they will learn, normalize and practice the same in their social life. And if every parent teaches their children about equality and raises a generation of chain breakers, it will be easier to uproot patriarchy in our society.
Recommended reading: Breaking Stereotypes: Changing Gender Roles In Modern Society
Recommended reading: Don’t Restrict Your Son’s Emotions
So when it comes to the girl’s mom vs boy’s mom debate, there is no difference between being a girl’s parent and a boy’s. The difference is in the mindset. If parents have the right mindset and give their children a holistic upbringing irrespective of their gender, both boys and girls will overcome stereotypes and embrace equality.
