National Girl Child Day: Things you must Teach both your Sons and Daughters

Every year in India, National Girl Child Day is observed on 24^th January. The day aims to highlight the challenges and discrimination faced by girls across the country. It also throws light on the importance of empowering girls. The intention is to spread societal awareness to ensure girls are valued and respected. Every year a new theme is observed on National Girl Child Day. Though the theme for 2024 hasn’t been announced yet, it’s likely to be centred around strength, resilience and equal opportunities for both boys and girls.

On National Girl Child Day, we should strive to teach and educate both our sons and daughters. Unfortunately, we end up laying different ground rules for both which is the root cause of discrimination and gender inequality. As a parent, you must disseminate the right information to your sons and daughters.

Raising Kids: 8 Things you Need to Educate your Child About

This National Girl Child Day, teach your sons and daughters the following things:

• Everybody is different

It is very important to teach them that everybody is made differently. Tell them that physical characteristics also differ. For example, some people are short, some are tall; some like people from the same sex; someone’s gender orientation may be different, etc. When you teach them young, they won’t end up discriminating as they get older. Educate them to accept themselves the way they are and not feel proud/ashamed of it.

• There is no such thing as superior gender

Men are often viewed as the more superior gender. For example, in a household too, sons and daughters are raised differently. The former is given more liberty than the latter. Teach them that physical strength does not determine superiority. Teach your daughters to never feel inadequate or less powerful. At the same time, ask them not to play the “woman card” and demand extra care and attention.

• Boys are subject to sexual abuse too

Girls are often taught about “good touch” and “bad touch” as they’re growing up. There is a common misconception that only girls/women can become victims of sexual abuse. There is no such thing like that. The same can happen to a boy/man as well. In fact, there are a growing number of men who are facing harassment at work. In the latest Netflix film, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, the lead character speaks about how he was a victim of molestation as a child. It is through these films that we learn that just like women, men too can be sexually harassed. Teach your boy child that it is extremely important to speak up if they’re touched/handled with sexual intentions.

• Violence is cruel

Bad children do not exist, only bad behaviour does. As you raise your child, teach them that violence is bad and bullying is unacceptable. Recently, I overheard a friend telling her son “Don’t hit her because she is a girl”. I honestly found this statement so problematic. Did my friend mean that her son could hit a boy? Teach them that hitting or any kind of violence is bad. Gender has nothing to do with bullying. By telling them not to hit a particular person because of their gender, we’re indirectly conveying that they are weaker. Girls do not need a man’s protection to survive.

• No one is above another

An important thing parents need to teach their children is that no one is above another. These days a lot of discrimination happens on the basis of culture and tradition. From the beginning, acquaint your child with their roots. Teach them to respect individuals of every religion and never look down upon someone based on their beliefs. This can only spoil things between two people. When you instil a sense of empathy in your child, they’re less likely to judge people based on gender, race, economic status and so on. To ensure your child treats everyone with respect and kindness, you can even enrol them in a community where they can interact with kids from various backgrounds.

• Cooking and cleaning are a basic life-skill and not a gendered task

Growing up, I always saw my mother do all the household chores while my father went to work. However, things are different today and have changed for the better. As a parent, you need to educate your sons and daughters that both cooking and cleaning have nothing to do with one’s gender. Instead, it’s a basic life skill. As much as women should know how to cook, men too should help in the kitchen and with other chores. When you teach them young, they are more likely to become independent as adults.

• It’s okay for a man to cry

The idea that men are not supposed to cry is a supremely damaging myth. It’s important to teach young boys that it’s okay to cry once in a while and there is nothing wrong with being expressive. Crying is a natural human response and we usually cry when we’re experiencing any kind of sadness or disappointment. A lot of men usually bottle up their emotions as they’ve been told as kids that emotions are meant only for girls. Even when men cry or express themselves today, they often face sexist remarks such as “why are you crying like a girl”.

• Be comfortable in your own skin

It’s important to raise kids who are inclusive from the very beginning. Try teaching them that everybody is made differently. Explain to them that they are much more than their appearance. If your child is too tall, short, fair or dark, they’re likely to face remarks when they grow up and become victims of body shaming. Encourage them to get comfortable in their own skin. You can even use toys and movies as an example. In fact, toy brand, Mattel did the unthinkable recently by including a new range of “curvy” and “dark-skinned” dolls in their collection. They introduced a range of barbies with different proportions to help kids learn more about inclusivity and diversity.

Conclusion
This National Girl Child Day, let’s lay down the same rules for our sons and daughters. The expectations you set should be more appropriate for today’s day and age.