How to Teach Equality to Your Child

Sexism has a huge influence on what the expectations are for men and women. What’s sad is that most young adults won’t grasp a true understanding of gender bias and sexism in the world. From the older generations, this idea of sexism has had a trickle-down effect to what has become accepted as the norm for men and women in their stereotypical roles. The most obvious of sexism is in traditional parental roles, where the man goes to work, while the mom plays ‘supermom’ by taking care of household tasks, taking care of the children, while trying to balance a career of her own. Traditional roles in parenting also see the father as the head of the household and every decision is based on how the father feels, no matter what the mother might feel. Gender bias and sexism is even apparent in the workplace, where women are being paid much less than men for the same work. These stubborn beliefs have paved the way to sobering statistics, such as the number of female leaders in politics and business, and the frequency of female sexual harassment. 

 

So what can we do to change this and the stubborn beliefs that most children cultivate at such a young age? How about teaching your child about equality and giving them a better understanding of gender bias and sexism? 

 

If you are wondering how to teach equality and give your child a better understanding about gender bias and sexism, here are a few tips:

 

• Do not limit your child’s activities to “boy” things or “girl” things

• Be an example of equality in the household

• Teach respect for others

• Let them express all feelings - there are no “boy” emotions or “girl” emotions

 

Teaching your child about equality and giving them a better understanding of gender bias and sexism will empower all children to realize that they should have equal opportunities, and will also motivate the younger generations to be more open-minded of differences, which can reduce the occurrence of violence, abuse and harassment in the world

 

If you would like to learn more on how to teach equality to your child or give them a better understanding of gender bias and sexism, check out The Feminist Parent. They offer articles, opinions and ideas about how to increase your consciousness about these subjects and more.