Teaching Daughters They Can Do It All

The revolution isn’t over yet. Until women can step into any field without being ostracized, treated with hostility, or even assumed to be a “diversity pick,” work has to be put in to assure that they can make their way where they need to. A lot of us are starting to think about how our daughters navigate this space, from their hobbies to their careers. Here are just a few ways you can help them gain the confidence and drive to set and reach the ambitions they want.

Give them the support they need during education

The way that children are gendered and treated differently based on gender expectations begins in school. Girls are expected, by default, to be more studious and less troublesome than boys. This can often result in a “squeaky wheel” situation where boys get more attention and care in improving their educational attainment as a result. For that reason, you have to learn how to support your child through school as best as you can. You have to make sure that they’re not getting skipped over when it comes to the help they may need.

Help them embrace their interests

There are plenty of societal expectations on “what women should be into” and “what men should be into,” and sometimes the lines drawn are so arbitrary as to be ridiculous. There’s nothing wrong with having traditionally feminine interests and tastes, but if your daughter shows a passion for something like jiu jitsu, then you should be willing to help her pursue that. Be open to the fact she might need support if she does step into a realm where she feels ostracized due to her gender, but don’t let that stop you or her from showing interest as a result.

Encourage her to exercise her voice

When you’re talking about decisions involving her life, it’s only natural to make sure that your daughter can speak up and have a say. However, we all know that girls can be conditioned into “making room” for others, even at the cost of themselves, even when it’s about themselves. There are hobbies and interests that can help your daughter get more confident and comfortable in talking about her own opinions and thoughts, such as debate clubs or book clubs. Of course, asking her about her opinion on things, in general, can help her become more confident, too.

Have the conversations about it

A lot of parents have trouble addressing the topic of sex and gender discrimination. On one hand, you may feel a need to “protect” your child from harmful ideas, or you may want to prevent them from painting a target on their back by speaking up about injustice and being painted as “whiny.” However, it’s a reality of the world that every girl and woman is going to have to face, so talking about sexism is vital.

Every child has limitless potential. This doesn’t guarantee limitless outcomes, but it’s an important lesson for parents to teach their daughters not to set their own boundaries in life.