Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Pretty in Pink

As a stay at home mother that has received a BA in psychology from Georgetown College and who is currently on hiatus from pursuing a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Baptist Seminary of Kentucky,  I try my best to pay close attention to how I raise my own daughter in this ever changing world for women.

I want my daughter to grow up knowing that she can do ANYTHING, ANYTHING that she puts her mind to.  

I must admit that it is a bit strange for me to tell people that I am a stay at home mother, that I have CHOSEN that for myself and in the same breath try to explain how feminist I am.  In fact, I would like to believe that I am so feminist that I see it as a woman's right to stay home to raise her children if she so desires.

I get REALLY aggravated at other feminist women who take it upon themselves to pity me for staying home to raise my children. I feel that some feminist have gone over the edge when they completely dismiss the caring vocation of a mother for her own children.  I LOVE being able to care for their simplest of needs while they are still young.  Although some days are better than others I truly feel being a mother to these two children is my vocational call  at this point in my life.

I digress......  

I want to raise my daughter to value BRAINS over beauty.  
I don't want the disney princess to eat her (a reference to a book ).  
I want her to be raised to know her true inner value as a human being.  
I want her to be strong and confident in her woman hood.  

A friend posted a link on facebook to this article about how to talk to little girls.  I found it to be a good reminder to bite my tongue when I feel the urge to give Anna more praise for dressing in her little princess dresses than I do when she is sitting under a shade tree reading a book.









2 comments:

  1. I love this post. I've only been staying home with Ada for about 6 weeks but I've been amazed by how differently some people treat me. I think there is a misconception that being a stay-at-home mom means you have totally lost yourself and sacrificed (foolishly, in the opinions of some) your career and future. I feel more genuine and closer to the person God made me to be when I am taking care of Ada. I think that is because we are naturally closer to God when we're serving others. I don't think there is a right or wrong in terms of being home or working but I do think it is a woman's right to choose. For me, I was just as upset about feeling like I didn't have the choice or means to be home as some would be about being forced to be home.

    I've caught myself telling Ada that she is a pretty girl on several occasions and while she is a beautiful baby, I want her to grow up knowing that there is more to her than outward beauty. I don't want to deny her the fun of playing dress up or pretending to be a princess but I also want her to know that if she wants to set her Barbies on little chairs to run an imaginary courtroom, she can do that too :)

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  2. thank you for your comment Amanda!!! you are right on. I feel the same way!

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