Comments on: How Early is Too Early? http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/ A SITE FOR INDIAN FEMINISTS Mon, 21 May 2012 04:13:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rakhi Pande http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1628 Rakhi Pande Wed, 06 May 2009 05:12:11 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1628 Hey there Dilnavaz, yes, did comment once or twice that he was such a silly mouse and such a silly story. Didn't want to over emphasize or give it too much importance either so that she forgets the chapter quickly, but yes, my student did not fortunately take away the message that this is how it has to work. :-) Your rhyme is even more ludicrous though, hope you managed to change it. Hey there Dilnavaz, yes, did comment once or twice that he was such a silly mouse and such a silly story. Didn’t want to over emphasize or give it too much importance either so that she forgets the chapter quickly, but yes, my student did not fortunately take away the message that this is how it has to work. :-) Your rhyme is even more ludicrous though, hope you managed to change it.

]]> By: Dilnavaz Bamboat http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1621 Dilnavaz Bamboat Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:50:49 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1621 D: I don't think the solution lies in stopping. The situation is very much a part of their lives and has been imbibed already. I'd much rather give them options so they realize it doesn't have to be one way or another. gauri: That's exactly what I do--twist the words around to create new scenarios each time. I always deal with children in many multiples and I think what keeps me going is the fact that I know they're going home at the end of the morning/evening. ;) Nayantara: Wow! Which grade/curriculum is this? And isn't the web a shriveled raisin? :) Good to bump into you here. Ramya/noormohamed: Ouch. I hope you helped change that perception a bit. Rakhi Pande: Good lord. I shouldn't be surprised, though. Millions in our country would still find absolutely nothing offensive about that story. Did you talk to your student about it? Lakshmi: I repeat: the web is a shriveled raisin. :D This is such fun! We've got to catch up. D: I don’t think the solution lies in stopping. The situation is very much a part of their lives and has been imbibed already. I’d much rather give them options so they realize it doesn’t have to be one way or another.

gauri: That’s exactly what I do–twist the words around to create new scenarios each time. I always deal with children in many multiples and I think what keeps me going is the fact that I know they’re going home at the end of the morning/evening. ;)

Nayantara: Wow! Which grade/curriculum is this? And isn’t the web a shriveled raisin? :) Good to bump into you here.

Ramya/noormohamed: Ouch. I hope you helped change that perception a bit.

Rakhi Pande: Good lord. I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Millions in our country would still find absolutely nothing offensive about that story. Did you talk to your student about it?

Lakshmi: I repeat: the web is a shriveled raisin. :D This is such fun! We’ve got to catch up.

]]> By: Lakshmi http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1620 Lakshmi Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:20:51 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1620 Dear Dillu, I should have known that I'd find you in cyberspace... creating waves as usual with your "coolness" and warmth! In case you're wondering who the heck I am... think back to about 17 years when you had a pen friend who lived in Andheri. Then one day you came down to meet her at your aunt's home in Parsi colony... :) Hopefully, kuch yaad aaya hoga! Write back, write back... loads to catch up on! lov, Lakshmi Dear Dillu, I should have known that I’d find you in cyberspace… creating waves as usual with your “coolness” and warmth! In case you’re wondering who the heck I am… think back to about 17 years when you had a pen friend who lived in Andheri. Then one day you came down to meet her at your aunt’s home in Parsi colony… :) Hopefully, kuch yaad aaya hoga!

Write back, write back… loads to catch up on!

lov,
Lakshmi

]]> By: Rakhi Pande http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1626 Rakhi Pande Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:30:45 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1626 No doubt education and syllabus has improved over the years - especially in the field of environmental education. However, you're right, there are still wrong gender cues. The 2nd std student I tutor has a chapter in her English text book about a mouse running from pillar to post to find a husband for his daughter. It's a terrible mindset to learn early. That a father has to beg of the sun, wind, cloud and a tower to marry his "beautiful" daughter! The story has a different "moral" to it, but what about the subconscious message. No doubt education and syllabus has improved over the years – especially in the field of environmental education. However, you’re right, there are still wrong gender cues. The 2nd std student I tutor has a chapter in her English text book about a mouse running from pillar to post to find a husband for his daughter. It’s a terrible mindset to learn early. That a father has to beg of the sun, wind, cloud and a tower to marry his “beautiful” daughter! The story has a different “moral” to it, but what about the subconscious message.

]]> By: noormohamed http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1627 noormohamed Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:19:45 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1627 Recently, two of my nieces, aged 6 and 4, asked me what I’m studying, so I told them that I dont study anymore and that I now go to office. They just didn’t believe me, and responded ‘But girls dont go to office.’ I was really taken aback, though I shouldn’t have been surprised, given that their mom, their aunts, and all the women they know dont go to office. And I think its important that they are aware that such a possibility even exists! Recently, two of my nieces, aged 6 and 4, asked me what I’m studying, so I told them that I dont study anymore and that I now go to office. They just didn’t believe me, and responded ‘But girls dont go to office.’ I was really taken aback, though I shouldn’t have been surprised, given that their mom, their aunts, and all the women they know dont go to office. And I think its important that they are aware that such a possibility even exists!

]]> By: Ramya http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1624 Ramya Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:10:54 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1624 Recently, two of my nieces, aged 6 and 4, asked me what I'm studying, so I told them that I dont study anymore and that I now go to office. They just didn't believe me, and responded 'But girls dont go to office.' I was really taken aback, though I shouldn't have been surprised, given that their mom, their aunts, and all the women they know dont go to office. And I think its important that they are aware that such a possibility even exists! Recently, two of my nieces, aged 6 and 4, asked me what I’m studying, so I told them that I dont study anymore and that I now go to office. They just didn’t believe me, and responded ‘But girls dont go to office.’ I was really taken aback, though I shouldn’t have been surprised, given that their mom, their aunts, and all the women they know dont go to office. And I think its important that they are aware that such a possibility even exists!

]]> By: Nayantara http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1622 Nayantara Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:33:36 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1622 Hi Dilnavaz! Really important issue! Things are changing slowly! I was surprised to find my daughter's social studies textbook showing pix of mom driving, carrying a briefcase and tapping away at the computer, and dad jiggling the baby, laying the table and cooking!! Remember me? We were published in the same RNRI e-book at CB! Pre-school is a good time to introduce gender-neutrality! Keep writing! Hi Dilnavaz!

Really important issue!

Things are changing slowly! I was surprised to find my daughter’s social studies textbook showing pix of mom driving, carrying a briefcase and tapping away at the computer, and dad jiggling the baby, laying the table and cooking!!

Remember me? We were published in the same RNRI e-book at CB!

Pre-school is a good time to introduce gender-neutrality! Keep writing!

]]> By: gauri http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1623 gauri Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:13:49 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1623 I shuddered just reading that rhyme. It is indeed one of the unfortunate cliches in India, and sadly often in an affluent but parochial environment. If I taught in that school, I'd probably take the liberty to 'twist' it around a little and throw some cheesy humor in it. Something like Oh what fun it'd be if daddy learnt to cook like mummy (yum yum or whatever) Why can't mummy drive like daddy? etc. Who knows, it might get the kids thinking "yeah, why doesn't s/he?". I've noticed questions coming from kids - especially one's own - are often very powerful and set one thinking about the (not so) "trivial" issues one hasn't really given much thought to. This is something that needs to be weeded out before gender roles and typecast equations settle permanently in young minds. The earlier kids start questioning these, higher the chances of living in a free-thinking society, eventually. That said, I have immense respect for pre-school teachers and their patience. I try not to lose it two kids, I don't know how you do it with so many! g I shuddered just reading that rhyme. It is indeed one of the unfortunate cliches in India, and sadly often in an affluent but parochial environment. If I taught in that school, I’d probably take the liberty to ‘twist’ it around a little and throw some cheesy humor in it. Something like

Oh what fun it’d be
if daddy learnt to cook like mummy
(yum yum or whatever)
Why can’t mummy
drive like daddy?
etc.

Who knows, it might get the kids thinking “yeah, why doesn’t s/he?”. I’ve noticed questions coming from kids – especially one’s own – are often very powerful and set one thinking about the (not so) “trivial” issues one hasn’t really given much thought to.

This is something that needs to be weeded out before gender roles and typecast equations settle permanently in young minds. The earlier kids start questioning these, higher the chances of living in a free-thinking society, eventually.

That said, I have immense respect for pre-school teachers and their patience. I try not to lose it two kids, I don’t know how you do it with so many!

g

]]> By: D http://ultraviolet.in/2009/03/20/how-early-is-too-early/comment-page-1/#comment-1625 D Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:11:25 +0000 http://youngfeminists.wordpress.com/?p=428#comment-1625 Oh please stop teaching that rhyme immediately! They're plenty of others that don't need to be bothered with gender equality. Oh please stop teaching that rhyme immediately! They’re plenty of others that don’t need to be bothered with gender equality.

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