Little Johnny is running around the classroom, knocking things over, bothering children and refusing to sit still. "He's just full of energy." "He's a little ball of fire." "Boys will be boys." Meanwhile, little Susie is expected to sit quietly, follow directions, keep her hands to herself and behave like she's preparing for a Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Johnny needs to sit his ass down, too.
Children have different developmental needs. But why do we often excuse disruptive behavior in boys while expecting girls to demonstrate the patience of grown women? If Susie is old enough to learn to keep her hands to herself, Johnny is old enough to start learning, too.
This isn't about ALL boys. I know plenty of boys who are kind, respectful, sweet and absolute gentlemen. Shoutout to the parents raising them that way.
This is about the boys who haven't learned those lessons yet—and the adults who keep making excuses for them. My daughter regularly comes home from school with stories about boys in her class and how they treat girls. She's told me about boys calling girls ugly, deliberately stepping on or pushing them, and constantly getting into trouble.
My Gen X parenting instincts kick in. "Girl, you better stand up for yourself. Tell him about his mama if you have to.
Or better yet, tell him about yours." But my daughter isn't built like that. A student ambassador who doesn't want to get in trouble. So she tells the teacher.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
