I want my daughter to know that being disrespected is NEVER acceptable. I want my daughter to know that if someone likes her and respects her, much less LOVES her, they don’t hurt her and they don’t put her down.
Read more here: http://viewsfromthecouch.com/2012/02/12/you-didnt-thank-me-for-punching-you-in-the-fac/
As the mother-to-be of a little boy, I am determined to teach my son that love is shown through generousity, tenderness and empathy. If violence towards girls is an elementary school “stage”, then I will teach him that such behaviour is not right, and not acceptable.
My hope is that he can look to our relationship, to how his father and mother cares for each other with joy, love, compassion and forgiveness and understand how to conduct himself in the world. I hope he sees how they communicate both with kind, patient words and gentle acts, and that it sets an example for how he should treat others in his life.
And then I will teach him that love is about respect. That those who love him, will try not to hurt him, and if they do, they will apologize. That yes, boys are strong, but that girls are too, and NO ONE should be hitting ANYONE, be they boy, girl, woman, man, or beast. That No one has the right to hurt you, and you never have to bear violence in silence.
