This is my little Beaker:
Beaker is a fun and fabulous four year old boy. He has soft and wavy hair that he likes long, and lovely hazel eyes. Beaker's favorite TV shows are Jake and the Neverland Pirates, My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic, Ninjago, and Strawberry Shortcake. He loves to play Minecraft and Barbies, likes to color, draw, and practice writing letters. He loves to cuddle and be read to - his favorite books are Green Eggs and Ham and Fancy Nancy. He loves the movie Frozen right now, and also The Lego Movie, and he spends all day long singing the songs from both.
I have been criticized for keeping his hair long (his choice). For painting his nails (he loves the pretty colors). For letting him watch "girl shows" like Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Ponies (his first choices during TV time in the evening). For buying him the pink twirly tutu that he begged for at the store, and sparkly silver flats to match. All of these criticisms, because he is a boy. My girls were encouraged by strangers to like these things.
I'm not naive enough to think that we can raise our children to be entirely gender neutral in the current society, but I am darn sure going to try. My children, regardless of their gender or sex, can love anything and anyone they choose. I will, again and again, stand up for their rights to do so, and to not face harassment for their choices.
For the BBF Anti-Bullying Blog Hop, I am re-running one of Beaker's favorites, the Strawberry Shortcake lunch I made for him:
He adored this lunch, just as he loves the show. And why shouldn't he? Because he is a boy? Ridiculous notion!
The sandwich is gluten free bread with spinach, turkey, bologna, sweet red pepper strips, and with strawberries tucked in the side, all served in an Easy Lunchbox.
Click the button below to follow the hop to see all of the wonderful messages of love and acceptance the BBF community has put together to share!
Bullying has always been a problem, but lately there has been a slow, steady increase in awareness of the problem. Victims are gaining support and schools are putting policies in place to discourage bullying and protect the children in their care. The issue is being address with a rising amount of seriousness by many.
However, the mark is still frequently being missed.
When the victim is being blamed; when children are being told that in order to avoid bullying they should conform to fit in and repress their own selves; when kids are being punished for not being feminine or masculine enough... This is a problem. This is not okay. This tells us that we, as a society, have a very long way yet to go.
I would like to say that things have improved since I was a child. When I was a kid, especially in middle school, I was bullied. I was a kid who did not fit into the mold. I was very into books and sketching - my favorite things to do in the world was to escape the world, either into art or a good novel. I was completely oblivious to fashion, never cared about makeup or hair. I would read anything I could get my hands on, and all of my notebooks were full of sketches and doodles. A sketchpad, colored pencils, and my library card were the greatest things in my world. They were magic.
There were those who clearly did not like me, and they set out to make my life difficult. I couldn't really say why, except that I was different and to some, different is bad. I responded by attempting to blend in to the background, never doing or saying anything that would make me stand out. By the time I was halfway through high school I had ditched that idea and had found a niche among other bookish and art-loving kids. Now, as a grown adult? I am happy to say that I like who I am, and I am not at all afraid to show it.
One of my main goals as a parent is to help my children find their place in life without the struggle. To help them to be who they want to be, and not wait 30 years to get there. And to instill in them a strong sense of kindness and love for those around them. It is very important to me that my children accept and love people for who they are, and that they also accept and love themselves. We are all a work in progress, but I think we are getting there.
I would like to say that things have improved since I was a child, and they have, in some ways... but not enough. We still have a very long way to go as a society. Inequality is still a current issue. Bullying is still a major problem. We need to work on loving each other, being accepting and tolerant of our differences, and celebrating the diversity that makes each of us so special and wonderful.
Love makes the world go 'round. So let's send more of it out into the world!
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