Real talk alert......gets no realer than this. Once and for all let's start a movement ending secret whispered names for body parts. Baby girls, 3-4 year olds, teens, hell.....42 year old females have vaginas.......not kitty cats! Not following? Here is the breakdown......
Not sure if it's generational or cultural but the practice of referring to female body parts with silly animal names and head gestures nodding downward aren't just ridiculous........in some cases it could be harmful.
I don't mean adults having "grown women" conversation throwing Va-JaJa around. I get it. I am referring to Moms bringing their girls up as if there is a prize if you make it to adulthood never having heard correct verbiage for their anatomy. Grrrrr
Whispered after bath time ......."Did you wash your kitty cat?" Fall down on your bike? "Did you hurt your kitty cat? 1st slumber party? "Nobody touches your kitty cat!" Really? I cannot make this up!
Starting early with secret names and whispered tones sets the stage that there is something to be ashamed of about your body. This focuses so much on mystery and so little on function. Without meaning to it immediately starts the sexualization of the body........the very thing trying to be avoided in most cases. And very confusing and unfair to a little girl. And in the unthinkable instance when something inappropriate occurs we have preprogrammed innocent minds that this is something to whisper about instead of empowering them with adequate language. Vagina.....go ahead and say it out loud....you won't go up in flames. Smh
I remember being in my back yard with family swimming in the pool. A pre teen is having a super good time getting her swim on! I hear a gasp and a quick....." Get a t shirt on" "why?" I ask. "girl.......people are gonna look at her, she's developing." Sigh. Here we go again. Yes she is developing. But, ummm, she is in a pool. With her family. Swimming! Nothing fresh or grown about it.......and here we have an adult in 15 seconds causing a shame so unnecessary and biting and not even knowing it. We gotta stop!
The news is full of women making it happen right now.....we rule the world.....women are leaning in........and rightfully so! But before we can grow to be strong women we have to have confident, informed girls. Girls that understand if they are beating the boys during a BMX race and fall down.....screaming my kitty cat is ok is not going to go over well! And that is real talk!
Go ahead and leave a comment.....try not to be too hard on me. Share this post.....start a conversation....... But mostly......shift the conversation we have with our girls.....they deserve it!
Could not disagree with you at all. I had a friend almost 70yrs old, had a fit last year, during the run up to 2012 election, when I mentioned the word vagina.
ReplyDeleteso keep the real talk coming.
This is such an impactful and important message. Thank you for keeping it real!!!!!
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