What does a girl want to be when they grow up?
Most people say it's up to a girl what she wants to be. A lot of people say, in this world nothing holds girls back from achieving anything they want. This sounds good. However, is this true? When women had limited rights, they were forced to behave, act right, and do "their" jobs. As a human being it is very easy to dislike what you are not allowed to do. This goes against the natural human existence. We as humans are built to be treated as equals by each other. Therefore, these girls saw that there weren't as many opportunities for them, and they wanted those opportunities. They fought for their ability to do more than what they saw that they were allowed to do.
The problem today is that girls don't see women doing these awesome amazing jobs. It's easy to see what you can't do or aren't allowed to do, but it's completely different from not knowing you could do it because you've never been exposed to it.
As you know gender equality and anti-gender abuse is one of my pet causes. I don't like that 52% of our population is seen as less than or is believed to be less than the other 48% of our population...it's just not right!
So I decided to go around my neighborhood and ask the girls what they wanted to be...so these are girls ages 5-16, let's see what they had to say:
Most of them said...a mom, a wife, and then there was the normal "girl" answers: vet, doctor, hair stylist, work with animals, soccer player. Was their 1st answer really mom and wife? Really?
Then I went to a large toy store and looked at the "girl" toys. What did I see - baby dolls, baby dolls, hair styles, clothes, dress up (princess, vet, hair stylist, animal trainer, flight attendant, doctor). Then I looked at the dolls, what did they do? Nothing. They were accessories to men who did things, or they were ga ga over shopping and fashion.
So when I heard about this new toy company called Roominate I was amazed!!!!!
Wow!
So the girls ages 5-9 will have doll houses to play with. That's nothing new...this is actually exactly what the marketing is asking to happen. But what if you had to BUILD the doll house. Actually, piece by piece learn how to build the house (note they are learning skills that will teach them specifically how to be self sufficient and build their own house. Cool huh?)
That's right, you can build a doll house. BUT...that doll house is completely wired up. You are taught to wire and build the doll house. When you're done with this you understand basic engineering and electrical know how. At the end of the doll house building, you have the beginning skills to actually build your own house!.
My dollhouse has working lights.
"My doll house has a dog's head that spins...and oh by the way, I did this by myself. Yeah, it's easy...just hook up the diodes and wires, but of course you have to make sure it has the right amperage and ohms"....What?! Did I just hear a real 7 year old girl talk about amperage...yes!!!! That is the amazing part.
These are not just toys that teach our girls that they can be a mom or a wife, but instead....a engineer, an architect, an astronaut, a carpenter, a contractor.
We need to start showing our daughters that they can be more than an accessory; they can be extraordinary!
They can be a leader!
