Saturday, August 27, 2005

Raising a Tiny Feminist

As you might have guessed, I'm a liberal. I'm raising my kid like a liberal. Since she was two, I've impressed upon her that it's her body -- no one has the right to do anything to her body that she doesn't want them to do to her body, no one can kiss her if she doesn't want them to, if she wants to pierce it, she can, if she doesn't want to, that's her business, yap yap yap.

And also, as a good liberal parent, I limit the amount of TV and refined sugar the kid has access to. One hour of TV per day and less if we can manage it, and she only gets candy on Saturday and not even then if we can manage it. (Except when she's with her grandmother, and then all bets are off.)

Well. She's seven now. I've decided the terrible twos are nothing, nothing, to the twisty sevens. She has become a cunning, vicious little lawyer, this seven year old feminist I have raised up. "Why can't I have candy whenever I want it?" she demands of me yesterday. "Isn't it my body? Can't I do whatever I want to with it?"

6 comments:

Ol Cranky said...

rotflmao! I'm not sure if this is related to of the dangers of having a smart kid, or the curse most parents inflict that their child have a child just like them.

Diane said...

Tell her "Absolutely--and save your allowance because since you're accepting responsibility for yourself, you'll be paying the dental bill."

Ma Tiny said...

i agree with d.e.d. -- teaching her about consequences couldn't be a bad thing. she sounds smart enough to understand without actually eating all the candy a 7-year-old would eat if she could.

Ol Cranky said...

Diane:

you are brilliant! I'll have to remember that one for if/when the time comes.

zelda1 said...

What a girl. She is wise beyond her years, I am so proud of her. I say, let her have the candy, but teach her to brush her teeth really well and tell her she has to floss and use the water pick. AFter awhile the burden of extra dental hygiene will take away the desire for sugary candies. I know this, it was what I did to my children and they decided the candy wasn't such a big deal and my son still doesn't like sweets and has never had a cavity. He is 27. My daughter not too fond of candy either but had one cavity when she had my grandson. I, on the other hand, love candy and would eat it all the time if I had the time to eat it.

Anonymous said...

Kids. I have that problem too and it makes me laugh (inwardly) at life's ironies.