i really liked your views and i share the same inspite of our gender divide.
i live in a small town called coimbatore (the MANCHESTER of India) but spent much of my earlier life in Madras (chennai today). my wife (a native of coimbatore) molly coddles my daughter and genrally spoils her around. i wish you would advice her better , because she doent listen to me at all when i tell her to toughen up both my (elder) daughter and younger son (11 and 6 yrs respectively).
she thinks i dont like the girl child and all that drivel ..... when all i want is a tough and caring daughter.,..... and son.
next time u come to coimbatore pls drop into our house and give us both some discourse on how to bring up tough childer (gender no bar).
thanks again for the great piece on child rearing.
It's the one of the best article I have read in the recent times on parenting. Kuddoosss to the author!!!! Post more of such articles explaining the best practical ways to grow up Kids!!!
i feel fortunate i was born to parents who thought more or less on the same way 40 years back. my father never regretted having 3 daughters, and my sisters envy me for having 2 daughters while both of the have only sons.its true women have it tougher, so we have to make them stronger than our boys, because ultimately the existence of family and this society depends on the so called fragile shoulders of the womenkind.
Being a marwari,it was v tough to provide d same oppurtinities to my daughters like son,but we, my husband and me,reared up our daughters to be tough , courageuous, bold and confident.as a result my elder daughter is doing her MBA in USA< after completing law from pune>,the younger one is doing her MBBS from kasturba medical collage,manipal.now i am v content, as i have done my duty as a mother and they are doing so well in their respective fields and will emerge as independent women..i am v proud of them.
Very well said. I am one of those in the 'daughter' end..being the only child, I never had to face much of the 'girl' issue from my parents, but indeed, when I have my own kids, I would love to give them the same independence and freedom that my parents have given me and what you have mentioned in your article.
You have conveyed a very good message through your article. I alwayz appreciate your views of bringing up both male and female child equally. Heartiest appreciation to you for inspiring women through your kind words to be tough....
If only stopping girls from playing with barbies can make them tough, I think this will be an easy task to do. Maam,please wake up to the reality of today's world, where you need (unmindful of being a girl or a boy) skill, courage, patience , knowledge and every damn thing that you can think of , to conquer the world and the problems we face. Lets teach our daughters and sons to be 'human' beings rather than being always running behind material possesions and money fame and power. This way we can ensure our world to be a better place to live and less hazardous. Teach them to make new friends and relationships, not to break them. Just because you put up a brave face over a broken relationship or marriage, the hurt caused or imbibed is not going to go over. After all , all of us want a happy and peaceful life, don't we?. God bless.
Zelda, even in the US the supermom concept has taken backstage. Here in tradition based india, do we have to go through the same cycle of bra burning and business suit-clad 20-30 somethings who leave their kids in the clutches of daycares and not so careful nannies? This projection you give of a Laura Croft/Axa/Xena hardy warrior type looks good on paper but is bound to scare off a few good metrosexual men as potential suitors, who might just cower and slink away at such macho feminism. Females do look good when they cultivate their feminine side and domestic skills. Work at home is also a concept that is there. Call me retrosexual, I dont mind.
