All fired up

A mom friend shared a great post by Ashley Csanady:  Can girls be heroes? Target’s pajamas say no

I didn't realize how much this bothered me until I became a mother, but for months now it has been building and I'm just about ready to blow. 

Why does everything have to be gendered?  

I'm sick of it.  I'm sick of all the pink.  I'm sick of all the limiting logos, slogans and tag lines that are meant to be "cute."  And while I'm on the topic, why do animal costumes need little pink bows?  God forbid my daughter be mistaken for, oh I don't know, a leopard.

I used to think there was no harm in it.  I think that I'm a fairly confident, well rounded woman.  But now I'm responsible for teaching my daughter how to navigate this world and it feels like we have somehow taken several steps backwards.  I want her to grow up free of the limits that others put on us with stupid t-shirts.

My daughter is a force to be reckoned with.  When she's around other toddlers, her energy is off the charts.  People regularly comment that she'll be a "tomboy" or is "just like a boy."  But I'll tell you what I see.  I see courage and a sense of adventure that I truly admire.  I imagine that when she grows up, she'll go bouldering and jump out of planes.  She's fearless, warm, funny and outgoing.  She's not a tomboy - she's active! 

We need to change the conversation that limits us.  The words we choose, the media we consume, the t-shirts we wear - they matter.  I choose to be a better example, starting now.