It is our job to combat misogyny, toxic masculinity, predatory behavior and rape culture by educating and empowering children. Talk to them about predatory behavior and grooming. Tell them, age appropriately, what these creeps say and do… Wait. Obviously, parental discretion should be used, but nothing predators do or say is age appropriate.
Tell your children the truth.
Tell your them what predators say and how they manipulate.
And for God’s sake stop insisting your kids hug and kiss everybody. What if I told you— YOU are grooming your own child for predators. You are the biggest obstacle to your child’s understanding that permission to touch their body can only be given by them.
Maybe I’m a little old fashioned in this area. I don’t know. Getting a hand written note will literally bring a tear to my eye. All this texting and technology has taken so much of the human element out of what should be very personal interactions. Typed thank you cards??? I know it’s the quick way to do it. Have all the thank you cards pre-printed, sign them and just drop them in the mail. I’m not judging you. I’m just saying. The people in attendance didn’t take the quick way. They were thoughtful in their scheduling and they found money in their budget for you. You need to say thank you appropriately.
If you’re the one saying I don’t hang with women because DOT DOT DOT reasons… If you subscribe to a women are too messy ideology… If you’re an I-stay-to-myself-because-people-start-too-much-stuff-that’s-why-I-don’t-have-any-friends type of individual… It’s not me or them. It’s you. The problem is you. You are the people starting too much stuff. You are the messy boots. You are the singular reason you don’t have any friends.
Full disclosure— I love seeing men being maternal. #NoShade to the paternal side because we need that too. Frankly, we need more blurring of these gender roles so that I don’t have to identify men taking care of children as “maternal”. I digress.
