I love your blog! I am a fairly conservative Christian (doctrinally), but I find myself quite liberal when it comes to gender steriotyping, and it refreshing to read a blog on the subject that is well thought-out, and that does not belittle the role of those women who choose to work from home, either as homemakers, independant workers, or as mothers. I am currently (sadly) childless, and I am about to start a full time job at a local political call center, but my heart is to have kids and work from home, homeschooling, and doing a heck of a lot of creative things, hopefully selling my creations, too! I will be following your blog, for sure Oh, and by the way – I am totally with you on toys being marketed to certain genders, and how they use color to reinforce steriotypes – ludicrous!
Hello and welcome! I think the beautiful thing about media literacy and learning about sexualization is that is cross all religious, racial, and economic boundaries. It applies to everyone! This blog has zero religious tone, but I think you’ll find the information really eye opening and when the day comes that you have children, you’ll be that much ahead of the game!
I enjoyed reading your blog. I just started promoting my e book, ” When I Am Learning To Love Me” which is a tool for parents and professionals that work or parent school age and adolescent girls. This resource is particularly geared for African American and minority girls. It’s a great resource to promote healthier self-images, increase self-esteem and character building.
I read your Letter to Bella on Facebook and it tugged at my heart strings. I am one of those girls. I would rather be dirty, drive big machines and look at dinosaurs than wear pink and be a ‘girl’ I am 31. I have never changed. It makes me heart happy to know that other people are telling our girls they can do what they want. My mom told me that my whole life. (my mom also lead sit ins and protests…so. ) I just want to say that though I am not a mom YET, I will keep this blog so that I can tell my girl that it’s ok to like ‘boy’ stuff.
Thanks a million.
Stacey
All growing up, I was a girlie girl; dresses, ribbons in my hair, shoes… In high school, I was high heels.
BUT, with all that, I fixed cars, drove tractors, milked cows, played in the dirt, and beat up boys (ironically because they would tease me about being a girl).
I have a 9 year old daughter who is the same way. It’s really a kind of cool way to grow up.
I am grateful for any information that will help me to raise my confident, strong, amazing and awesome daughters. And to help to equip me with information to swim against the tide of the sexualization of today’s girls/women. I also hope for a time when boys can wear pink, snuggle with a baby doll, and love watching Dora the Explorer and still be seen as strong and awesome boys. Not to be belittled for liking “girlie” things. I actually had a mother at church tell me that she had a “problem” with her son because he liked pink! Stupid woman.
I subscribed after reading the “waking up full of awesome” post! I have a 5 and 3 yr old girls. My 5yr old has moderate CP and alternates between referring to herself as Super-Zoe and self consciousness over her braces and clumsiness! At home and in the pool, is where none of that matters. . . We actively work on waking up full of awesome every day!
In pre-K, my daughter went into school dressed as an astronaut. One hundred percent AWESOME. She came home, put her hands on her hips, and tells me “ALL the other girls were princesses. What’s WITH that?”. I will never forget that moment. She’s now starting middle school; I’m crossing my fingers she will remain the fierce, bold, brave girl that she is. I love your blog and am spreading the gospel of awesomeness!
Thank you! I am so glad I came across this! The beauty, I have found, of having a small daughter is getting to view life through the lens of a child again. My daughter brought back my awesome. You don’t realize it has been missing after years of having your awesome drained from you until you get a touch of the awesome back somehow. I hope this blog spreads the awesome all over the place.
Thank you so much for a wonderful and informative blog! I also love the shirts! Just ordered the newest one for my daughter!
I’m having trouble subscribing to the blog. Each time I enter my email address it tells me the the server is having trouble with my request. I waited a couple days and tried again. Same message. Am I doing something wrong? Any ideas?
Hi Terri -
We aren’t sure why that is happening, but we are looking into it. Feel free to email me and I can let you know when we have things up and running. Thanks much! info@pigtailpals.com
I haven’t been able to subscribe either, keeps saying “Sorry, there seems to be an error on the server. Please try again later.” Its my third day of trying
Hi Chris -
We aren’t sure why that is happening, we looked into it last night. I really appreciate you trying. The blog has been on fire with over 300,000 views, so I think the server is just acting wonky. Wonky, of course, being my technical term. I wish I had a better answer for you!
Hi!
I’ll keep trying to subscribe! I am a single Mom of 3 girls and grew up a tom-boy….teased and called lesbo growing up as I had short hair. Hey, I just liked to play outside and get dirty! (Absolutely nothing against the gay community, have many friends and a few family members that are) Climb trees, worm farm….whatever. Played ice hockey back when there weren’t girls teams, learned to fly airplanes….I like to call it an adventurous spirit. That being said, with three girls, I am also teaching them to have adventurous spirits….Amelia, Penelope & Isabella, all COMPLETELY different personalities. My middle child does LOVE to dress up in dresses and wear bracelets, rings, her “bling”, and I embrace that too. I totally agree that young girls clothing is being “sexualized” and I am pretty strick about what they are allowed to wear. Could care less if “so & so has it”. I’m happy to have found this blog….a place to read that other moms agree to teach their girls to embrace who they are and what they love, not that they have to conform to be “pretty”.
Keep it coming!! LOVE IT!!!
PS Bella has a t-shirt that says “Anything Boys can do Girls can do better!” :-.)
Hi Andrea -
I know a few folks are having trouble subscribing. We tried to see what the problem was, but couldn’t find anything. I think it is do to enormous traffic on the blog right now. I appreciate you being patient. I’m glad you found us!
Let’s empower girls without putting down boys. I have a daughter and a son and they are both “full of awesome” seeing a t-shirt that says anything boys can do girls can do better takes a tiny bit of his awesome away. There is plenty of awesome to go around, you don’t need to take any from someone else.
I’m a Wellesley grad and daughter and granddaughter of a long line of rule breaking tomboys. My grandmother played field hockey at Vassar in the 1920s, was an independent working woman well into her thirties, scandalized everyone by marrying late and having kids at 39. My mom and aunt shocked their conservative Kansas town by wearing boys blue jeans (oh my!). In 5th grade, I staged an all girl sit in at my elementary school because the boys wouldn’t let us play kick ball.
Now, I’ve got a sassy, headstrong, fireplug of a 3 1/2 year old daughter who recently declared: “I am not afraid of anything.” I’d like to help her stay that way!
Hello – love this! Trying to subscribe to your blog, but I keep getting this error message: “Sorry, there seems to be an error on the server. Please try again later.”
Hi Linda -
I’m so sorry for the frustration. I’ve had several people tell me they are having problems, but we cannot identify the problem. I always post new blog posts on the Facebook and twitter pages, so until we get this worked out, you can find us there. I’m so glad you enjoy the writing!
BOOO!!! I got an error message too when trying to subscribe.
I am so happy to see parents getting fed up w/ the media. I was obsessed w/ Cosmopolitan magazines when I was a teen in the 80′s. My grandma thought that mag was bad…Cosmo was tame back then compared to all the mags out there now!
Anyway I just love your wit and frankness…very refreshing.
Hi Traci -
We’ve heard that from a few people, and we cannot figure out why some of you are getting that message. I’m sorry for the frustration. Until we figure it out, you can catch our posts on our facebook page, or sign up on our website for our newsletter. http://www.pigtailpals.com
Hi Emily -
Thanks! And I know, we’re trying to figure out what is wrong and why some people are unable to subscribe. Thanks for being patient! I’ll try to get an answer soon.
Great to find you! I followed the link from Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. I’ll post about your site on Facebook. I admire this work you are doing. I am a homeschooling mom of a 7 year old. We are deeply committed to empowering this child, and protecting her, while she is young and impressionable. She is smart and full of life, creative and loves to learn. She loves bugs and dresses, rockets and history, and a million other things. Our days are so full that none of us wants to go to bed at night, for fear of missing something. Her Daddy is amazing and supportive. She is a lucky kid to have such a father. <3
We are with you, trying to awaken parents, and other adults, to help create a safer world for girls, where the possibilities are endless!
I am a stay at home mom of an almost 4 year old boy. I want him to have non-violent toys that show boys and girls as equal. I want duplos with an equal number of male and female figures. Female firefighters, doctors, construction workers. I want Imaginext to have female superheroes. So far, the only female they have in their superhero line is Cat Woman, and she is a villain! The best toys and videos I have found are the old used Rescue Heroes action figures and DVDs. They have non-violent action figures that are both male and female. But the new line of Rescue Heroes are military and male
Pigtail Pals is dedicated to changing the way we think about girls. Our blog educates parents on media literacy, marketing, sexualization, gender stereotypes, and body image.
Our shop offers inspiring apparel and gifts for children.
www.pigtailpals.com
Expat, mother of four, and part time history teacher. Love your blogs.
[Reply]
I love your blog! I am a fairly conservative Christian (doctrinally), but I find myself quite liberal when it comes to gender steriotyping, and it refreshing to read a blog on the subject that is well thought-out, and that does not belittle the role of those women who choose to work from home, either as homemakers, independant workers, or as mothers. I am currently (sadly) childless, and I am about to start a full time job at a local political call center, but my heart is to have kids and work from home, homeschooling, and doing a heck of a lot of creative things, hopefully selling my creations, too! I will be following your blog, for sure
Oh, and by the way – I am totally with you on toys being marketed to certain genders, and how they use color to reinforce steriotypes – ludicrous!
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
November 23rd, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Hello and welcome! I think the beautiful thing about media literacy and learning about sexualization is that is cross all religious, racial, and economic boundaries. It applies to everyone! This blog has zero religious tone, but I think you’ll find the information really eye opening and when the day comes that you have children, you’ll be that much ahead of the game!
[Reply]
Hi Melissa,
I enjoyed reading your blog. I just started promoting my e book, ” When I Am Learning To Love Me” which is a tool for parents and professionals that work or parent school age and adolescent girls. This resource is particularly geared for African American and minority girls. It’s a great resource to promote healthier self-images, increase self-esteem and character building.
Thanks,
Michelle Chaisson
[Reply]
Hi,
I read your Letter to Bella on Facebook and it tugged at my heart strings. I am one of those girls. I would rather be dirty, drive big machines and look at dinosaurs than wear pink and be a ‘girl’ I am 31. I have never changed. It makes me heart happy to know that other people are telling our girls they can do what they want. My mom told me that my whole life. (my mom also lead sit ins and protests…so.
) I just want to say that though I am not a mom YET, I will keep this blog so that I can tell my girl that it’s ok to like ‘boy’ stuff.
Thanks a million.
Stacey
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 2nd, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Stacey -
That is so wonderful to hear. I am that same kind of girl. That post came straight from my heart. I’m so glad it spoke to yours.
[Reply]
This made my morning!!!!
[Reply]
Thanks for this.
All growing up, I was a girlie girl; dresses, ribbons in my hair, shoes… In high school, I was high heels.
BUT, with all that, I fixed cars, drove tractors, milked cows, played in the dirt, and beat up boys (ironically because they would tease me about being a girl).
I have a 9 year old daughter who is the same way. It’s really a kind of cool way to grow up.
[Reply]
I am grateful for any information that will help me to raise my confident, strong, amazing and awesome daughters. And to help to equip me with information to swim against the tide of the sexualization of today’s girls/women. I also hope for a time when boys can wear pink, snuggle with a baby doll, and love watching Dora the Explorer and still be seen as strong and awesome boys. Not to be belittled for liking “girlie” things. I actually had a mother at church tell me that she had a “problem” with her son because he liked pink! Stupid woman.
[Reply]
I subscribed after reading the “waking up full of awesome” post! I have a 5 and 3 yr old girls. My 5yr old has moderate CP and alternates between referring to herself as Super-Zoe and self consciousness over her braces and clumsiness! At home and in the pool, is where none of that matters. . . We actively work on waking up full of awesome every day!
[Reply]
In pre-K, my daughter went into school dressed as an astronaut. One hundred percent AWESOME. She came home, put her hands on her hips, and tells me “ALL the other girls were princesses. What’s WITH that?”. I will never forget that moment. She’s now starting middle school; I’m crossing my fingers she will remain the fierce, bold, brave girl that she is. I love your blog and am spreading the gospel of awesomeness!
[Reply]
Thank you! I am so glad I came across this! The beauty, I have found, of having a small daughter is getting to view life through the lens of a child again. My daughter brought back my awesome. You don’t realize it has been missing after years of having your awesome drained from you until you get a touch of the awesome back somehow. I hope this blog spreads the awesome all over the place.
Cheers!
[Reply]
Thank you so much for a wonderful and informative blog! I also love the shirts! Just ordered the newest one for my daughter!
I’m having trouble subscribing to the blog. Each time I enter my email address it tells me the the server is having trouble with my request. I waited a couple days and tried again. Same message. Am I doing something wrong? Any ideas?
Thanks again!
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 12th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
Hi Terri -
We aren’t sure why that is happening, but we are looking into it. Feel free to email me and I can let you know when we have things up and running. Thanks much!
info@pigtailpals.com
[Reply]
I haven’t been able to subscribe either, keeps saying “Sorry, there seems to be an error on the server. Please try again later.” Its my third day of trying
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 13th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Hi Chris -
We aren’t sure why that is happening, we looked into it last night. I really appreciate you trying. The blog has been on fire with over 300,000 views, so I think the server is just acting wonky. Wonky, of course, being my technical term. I wish I had a better answer for you!
[Reply]
Hi!
I’ll keep trying to subscribe! I am a single Mom of 3 girls and grew up a tom-boy….teased and called lesbo growing up as I had short hair. Hey, I just liked to play outside and get dirty! (Absolutely nothing against the gay community, have many friends and a few family members that are) Climb trees, worm farm….whatever. Played ice hockey back when there weren’t girls teams, learned to fly airplanes….I like to call it an adventurous spirit. That being said, with three girls, I am also teaching them to have adventurous spirits….Amelia, Penelope & Isabella, all COMPLETELY different personalities. My middle child does LOVE to dress up in dresses and wear bracelets, rings, her “bling”, and I embrace that too. I totally agree that young girls clothing is being “sexualized” and I am pretty strick about what they are allowed to wear. Could care less if “so & so has it”. I’m happy to have found this blog….a place to read that other moms agree to teach their girls to embrace who they are and what they love, not that they have to conform to be “pretty”.
Keep it coming!! LOVE IT!!!
PS Bella has a t-shirt that says “Anything Boys can do Girls can do better!” :-.)
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
Hi Andrea -
I know a few folks are having trouble subscribing. We tried to see what the problem was, but couldn’t find anything. I think it is do to enormous traffic on the blog right now. I appreciate you being patient. I’m glad you found us!
[Reply]
Celia Reply:
September 16th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Let’s empower girls without putting down boys. I have a daughter and a son and they are both “full of awesome” seeing a t-shirt that says anything boys can do girls can do better takes a tiny bit of his awesome away. There is plenty of awesome to go around, you don’t need to take any from someone else.
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 16th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Girls are not empowered when we put boys down.
[Reply]
Have you checked out “the girl effect”?
http://www.girleffect.org/question
[Reply]
I’m a Wellesley grad and daughter and granddaughter of a long line of rule breaking tomboys. My grandmother played field hockey at Vassar in the 1920s, was an independent working woman well into her thirties, scandalized everyone by marrying late and having kids at 39. My mom and aunt shocked their conservative Kansas town by wearing boys blue jeans (oh my!). In 5th grade, I staged an all girl sit in at my elementary school because the boys wouldn’t let us play kick ball.
Now, I’ve got a sassy, headstrong, fireplug of a 3 1/2 year old daughter who recently declared: “I am not afraid of anything.” I’d like to help her stay that way!
Keep up the good words and good work!
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Awesome clearly runs in your genes!!
[Reply]
Hello – love this! Trying to subscribe to your blog, but I keep getting this error message: “Sorry, there seems to be an error on the server. Please try again later.”
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 17th, 2011 at 6:00 am
Hi Linda -
I’m so sorry for the frustration. I’ve had several people tell me they are having problems, but we cannot identify the problem. I always post new blog posts on the Facebook and twitter pages, so until we get this worked out, you can find us there. I’m so glad you enjoy the writing!
[Reply]
BOOO!!! I got an error message too when trying to subscribe.
I am so happy to see parents getting fed up w/ the media. I was obsessed w/ Cosmopolitan magazines when I was a teen in the 80′s. My grandma thought that mag was bad…Cosmo was tame back then compared to all the mags out there now!
Anyway I just love your wit and frankness…very refreshing.
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 11:29 am
Hi Traci -
We’ve heard that from a few people, and we cannot figure out why some of you are getting that message. I’m sorry for the frustration. Until we figure it out, you can catch our posts on our facebook page, or sign up on our website for our newsletter. http://www.pigtailpals.com
[Reply]
Love the blog! Have tried to subscribe a few times, but it won’t go through. Help!
[Reply]
Love this blog, but can’t subscribe
(
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
October 20th, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Hi Emily -
Thanks! And I know, we’re trying to figure out what is wrong and why some people are unable to subscribe. Thanks for being patient! I’ll try to get an answer soon.
[Reply]
Great to find you! I followed the link from Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. I’ll post about your site on Facebook. I admire this work you are doing. I am a homeschooling mom of a 7 year old. We are deeply committed to empowering this child, and protecting her, while she is young and impressionable. She is smart and full of life, creative and loves to learn. She loves bugs and dresses, rockets and history, and a million other things. Our days are so full that none of us wants to go to bed at night, for fear of missing something.
Her Daddy is amazing and supportive. She is a lucky kid to have such a father. <3
We are with you, trying to awaken parents, and other adults, to help create a safer world for girls, where the possibilities are endless!
[Reply]
I am a stay at home mom of an almost 4 year old boy. I want him to have non-violent toys that show boys and girls as equal. I want duplos with an equal number of male and female figures. Female firefighters, doctors, construction workers. I want Imaginext to have female superheroes. So far, the only female they have in their superhero line is Cat Woman, and she is a villain! The best toys and videos I have found are the old used Rescue Heroes action figures and DVDs. They have non-violent action figures that are both male and female. But the new line of Rescue Heroes are military and male
[Reply]
melissa Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 9:48 am
Sheryl -
My son will be 4yo this month, and we are just graduating into “big boy toys”, and I don’t like what I see. At all.
[Reply]