First, let me supply an updated picture of the beautiful Danya since I haven't posted here in six (!) months. Here he is peeking out of the window of a choo-choo train at the Denver zoo back in July. My, has he grown, physically, socially, linguistically, you name it. Hopefully, I have as well as a mom with exactly one year under her belt.
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I've been thinking about how to bring a feminist perspective to my mothering. How challenging to raise a boy in this still-too-gendered world where images of tough-guy masculinity continue to proliferate. Haven't we learned better by now? I know that some have, and I need to learn from them on my boy's behalf.
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It goes without saying that I want Danya to be socially accepted, to have friends, to "fit in," but not if this means adopting a prescribed male role that limits both him and others. I also don't want him to feel guilty/badly about being a boy, about being white, about having priviliges in this world. And I don't want to disempower him, by any means. I want him to be incredibly powerful and influential on behalf of good and creativity and fairness and all that marvelous stuff that benefits everyone. I guess I want him to be aware of inequities and injustices that are placed on both girls and boys and then to make conscious choices out of that awareness. I know all of this sounds vague here at the start. I intend to read and write more as I go along.
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