Lifestyle
We all know how impressionable kids are - soaking up new information at a surprising speed. That's why it's vital that we refrain from perpetuating potentially harmful beliefs - lest it sticks with them all the way into adulthood.
Sometimes something as seemingly innocent as, say, a piece of homework can reinforce such damaging views - one mom from New York being a very recent case in point. She decided to completely rewrite her daughter's homework in protest against its 'sexist' tone.
When Lynne Polvino looked over her child's 'fill in the blanks' worksheet, she noticed that it was full of outdated stereotypes.
But rather than ignoring it, the outraged mother wrote her own version and posted it on Facebook alongside the 'correctly' answered sheet filled in by her daughter.
The homework centered around a story about a girl who felt sad that her mom was going back to work.
The doting mom posted the photos with the caption, "Here’s the homework assignment my daughter brought home yesterday, side-by-side with my rewrite."
Polvino's daughter's homework starts:
"Lisa was not happy her mother was back at work. Before Lisa was born, her mother worked in a big office. Yesterday, she told Lisa that she was going back to work. The morning was terrible. Lisa had to get to school on time. Her father had to get to work on time. And now, her mother was in a rush, too. Lisa’s father made breakfast, it was not too good."
Credit: Facebook / Lynne Polvino
The 'correct' version of the homework implies that it is a negative thing that mothers go to work, and that fathers are incapable of tending to their children's needs.
Obviously, these sorts of gender-centric preconceptions can be easily absorbed by kids and their impressionable minds.
Take a read of Polivino's much more enlightened rewrite:
Credit: Facebook / Lynne Polvino
I think we could all learn a thing or two from Polvino's homework rewrite. Mostly that no one should feel confined to certain outdated gender expectations.
Jul 16, 2019
5 mins
Target is releasing Halloween Costumes For Kids In Wheelchairs
There's no doubt that Halloween is one of America's favourite holidays - especially for kids. Okay, so Christmas is when they get their presents, and Thanksgiving has the best food, and those Fourth of July fireworks are always an impressive spectacle. But there's nothing kids love more than getting the…
May 07, 2019
5 mins
If You Ever See Your Child Sitting Like This, Stop Them Immediately
I'm not a parent, but if my limited exposure is anything to go by, spending time with a little boy or girl of your own is about 40 per cent the purest form of love humanity has to offer, while the other 60 per cent of your time is spent…
Jun 07, 2019
5 mins
Father And Toddler Go Viral For Their Adorable 'Conversation' In Front Of The TV
In the life of a parent, there are few more emotional moments than when your little bundle of joy says their first word. Before that, a baby is pretty much a squishy, hairless dog, but the moment they start to talk is the moment they really start to become a…
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive only good things