What 8 Things You Teach Your Son This Women's Day?

Every year 8th March is a special day, celebrated as Women’s Day on a global level. Ever since the beginning of time, women in our society have always been a secondary subject by the male dominant society. With the growing realization and the increasing contribution of women in every sphere of life, this day is chosen to honor women for their empowerment and sheer strength. Basically, this day is an ode to women worldwide for her acts of courage and talents to uplift society as a whole. [Mother's Story - Are We Teaching Our Boys to Respect Women?]

Explaining International Women’s Day to Your Child

International Women's Day is more than just a day to feel inspired and empowered; it's a day to remind your children, both girls, and boys, that women matter, that women are important, women are equal and that women deserve to be recognized. If your children are young and old enough to go to school, they surely must know all the important figures throughout the course of history that have brought a change in the world. But if you notice closely, they sum up their knowledge by stating the names of important men and not women. So it is high time that we teach our children to start acknowledging women (from the past and even present) and their significant contribution to society as a whole.

Despite various initiatives made by Government and other social institutes, women are still ruled by male dominance and threatened in multiple ways on a regular basis. We are often found teaching young girls how to behave properly, how to dress aptly and act responsibly. But what about our boys? Why are we not teaching our young boys to act and behave aptly and respect women? This question brings us the need of teaching boys to respect women this Women's Day. Being parents we are responsible for teaching our lads right from a young age to respect women, as it is due to women that they exist today.

Things Which Every Mother Should Instill in Boys on Women's Day

If you are scratching your head on what to teach to boys on International Women’s Day then do not worry, I have a few things that you can take note of. Continue reading to find out more -

1. It’s Okay to Show Emotions

   It is normal for young boys to showcase being macho and tough. But it is important for mothers to teach their sons that it is okay to display their emotions. We really need to stop telling our boys, “Stop crying like a girl” or “You cry like a girl”. Why is crying associated only to girls? Why aren’t our boys allowed to cry to express their emotions? It’s high time that we act matured and allow our boys to stop feeling ashamed of crying or grieving. These stereotypical ‘manly’ qualities that the world has dumped upon them need to be erased right away

2. You Don't Become Less of A Man Doing Household Chores

   In most Indian households only girls are taught to clean, cook and wash while boys are left to fetch for themselves or everything is spoon-fed to them. It is important for mothers to teach their sons that no job or chore is beneath him.

3. A Woman Can Do Anything That a Man Can

   From a very young age, a mother needs to teach her son that a woman can do everything and anything that a man can. With this view instilled up on your child, he will soon start seeing women as peers rather than a secondary citizen and respect them more.

4. Be Chivalrous or Respectful to Women

   With various cases of disrespecting women flashing before us, this modern generation thinks it is ‘cool’ to disrespect women. Teach your son to open the car door for you, hold the elevator, carry the groceries and to buy flowers. Things, like giving a coat to a woman when she is cold or to get the car if she is in heels, are not ‘old fashioned’ but show how truly a man is a gentleman indeed.

5. No Means ‘NO’

   Sexual harassment is a major issue that has plagued our society widely and needs to be addressed right from our homes. Your son needs to be taught that when a woman is not consenting or is inebriated, it is not okay to touch her inappropriately or do something that she is not comfortable with. Teach your son that a woman has every right to decide for herself who she wants to be intimate with and it is wrong for him to do anything without her consent. No means a clear ‘NO’.

6. Walking Away from Doing Something Wrong Means Being Strong

   These days’ young boys seem to give in to peer pressure too soon, without thinking about the consequences. It is important for them to be a part of the crowd otherwise they feel like an outcast. This feeling enables them to be a part of many wrongdoings that eventually hamper their own growth in society. As a mother, you need to teach your son to follow his gut and never indulge in any wrongdoings just for the sake of fitting in the herd. Teach him that being right yet away from his peer will not make him a coward.

7. Never Use Physical Violence

   Teach your son that it is never okay to use physical force towards another human being, be it a man or a woman. Even if a girl hits him, teach your son that it isn’t right to hit her back. Teach him to walk away from the situation or simply restrain her kindly

8. Don’t Play with Her Emotions

   Most men these days believe having many partners make them ‘cool’. But alas! This bubble needs to be broken right away. Teach your child that having multiple partners doesn’t make him look cool and it is not okay to play with the emotions of a female as he too wouldn’t like it if the same thing be done to him

Tell Him About Powerful Women to Raise Feminist Son

Give him some examples of powerful women on raising feminist sons or raising a son who respects ladies, women. Given are some examples. check here. 

• Emma Straub - An author

  Being a well-known author, Emma Straub says that every time she pens down a book for children, she changes “girls” to “kids” as she doesn’t want her son to grow up being a sexist. How cool is that of her, huh?

• Feminista Jones, Writer, and activist

  Feminista states that women are humans just as men are and must be given equal opportunities in every stratum of life. Apart from stating this, she also makes sure her son tries to embody her thoughts in life. She makes it a point to regularly talk to her son about various women who have achieved significant heights in history and in the present scenario too. Being a good teacher to her son, she always corrects him if he makes says things that uphold oppressive social norms. Do you see how her name is doing complete justice to her role as a woman and a mother?

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• Amber Rose, A model & An Activist

  Being the supermodel that she is in the fashion industry, Amber too had her share of being suppressed by the male-dominated society in the form of sexual assaults. She is teaching her son to be a feminist so that he can always take a stance for women when they become reduced to a subject of harassment. Now that’s a super mom we have got!

• Reshma Saujani, a CEO

  Reshma who is the founder of ‘Girls Who Code’ has a 9-month-old son and pledges to teach him that women are equal to men and not inferior in any way. She will teach him that it is okay for him to dress up as any female Disney character he likes for Halloween and how it is completely normal for mommy to go on business trips while daddy does the laundry and dishes. Now that’s a mom doing her job right!

• Lori Leibovich, a Journalist

  Lori started her teachings of feminism to her son right from the time when he was barely 5 or 6 years old. She made it a clear point to him that feminism means treating women and men equally under the law and all aspects of society. Now here’s a mommy hitting straight on the point

Being a man comes with advantages as well as responsibilities. So teach your son to use his power, strength, and talents in the right manner. Change starts from within, so first, teach your son the importance of women in his life, be it his sister, mother, grandma, teacher, nanny or your maid, he needs to be taught to value them, appreciate them and cherish them. There is no better time to start making these conversations with your son than this day, right? Seeking fortuity of this day, I am giving these lessons for my sons to learn to respect women. When are you starting yours?

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