Raising Strong Independent Girls - With the help of Tara Binns

Since #BabyPink burst into my life in an explosion of pink, with her dresses, leggings and general cuteness. I've become obsessed with trying to make sure she will grow up without typical gender stereotypes.

The lovely Amanda at Ginger Mum Blog let me write a guest post on Gender Neutral Clothing. 

Today though I realised something more profound.

I was dropping two of the boys to primary school. It's the last day before the mid term break, so Halloween was the order of the day. Costumes, treats, maybe a game or two and not much work.

As I stood there waiting for the gates to open other parents arrived with their children. All in costume. There was a soldier ,  Red Power Ranger, Soccer Player, Werewolves, Zombies etc. Then we had witches, and black cats with one dead bride.

Black Cat Onsie from Tesco

I was flabbergasted!! Besides the werewolves, who had obviously all picked the same ready made costume from Tesco, none of the boys were the same. YET all the girls were witches or cats!

On the drive home I thought about this. Did they all ask for these outfits?  Were they the only ones available? Do girls not want to be solders,  ninjas or zombies? Are the parents telling them they can't go to school dressed as a soldier? 

Then when I got home and looked at my Facebook news feed.  I saw posts about Khloe Kardashian, models, actresses, rugby players, Soccer players. It was then I realised, girls today don't have the role models, they are not encouraged to be independent to think for themselves. 

With all this fat shaming, thin shaming, body obsessed, beauty culture in the media. Who do our girls have as role models?

                                        

Even Karen Brady, who I'd have as an ideal role model for girls, is Lord Sugars sidekick on the apprentice! 

I am therefore delighted to have found the Tara Binns - Eagle-Eyed Pilot: 1 book. Tara goes on an adventure that she normally wouldn't, a pilot. In another she works in a car factory testing brakes.

If it wasn't for the fact that the times I've tried reading to #BabyPink she tries to eat the book! I'd be reading them to her now. 

I'll have to wait a bit longer. For the time being ill have to keep up my subliminal messages whilst she's asleep. Whispering in her ear "You can be anything you want to be,"

How do you think we can raise strong independent girls in this image obsessed world we live in?

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