Studies have shown that girls as young as six are influenced by gender stereotypes, and that role models from the entertainment they chose can have a lasting effect.
What about the boys? Do gender stereotypes focused on female leads send the same influence to their male counterparts?
Seems that the way we model women in the media DOES in fact have a big impact on our young sons too. While raising my own two boys I have noticed that a lot of their perceptions of women are not just made up of the wonderful ideals I have set them up with but rather a mash up of my own mirror image as well as the women they watch both on screen and off. This leads me to re-think the kinds of women I want them to be watching…
After all, parenting as well as media shape who these young men will one day be right? To make a connection to strong female leads is equally important to females as well as males in my opinion.
My boys are raised predominantly by women because a lot of their male figures are often working long hours – that is why I think it is super important to help them become the men we will one day be proud of, we as women will one day walk beside with confidence that we are their equals and not anything less of that.
With that said, I love characters on Netflix like little Eleven on Stranger Things – she’s super kick A$$ at saving her crew and really just one of the ‘boys’ when it comes to fitting in and showing me who’s boss- a real lady in my opinion. She’s young enough to relate to my own kiddos and smart enough to hang out with them anytime.
Strong females who shape and impact boys lives at any cost – those are the girls I want my kids to see/interact and one day stand beside.
Happy international women’s day to all of the beautiful women raising good men!
