A lot of discussions have been going on in recent times over gender-related issues – feminism, sexism, misogyny & misandry. The society and the media are “selling” a lot of narratives to our daughters overtly and subliminally either through TV shows, adverts or through what is being hyped generally.

To help us in our quest to raise fully functional adults that are useful not just to themselves but to the society they find themselves in, it’s important that mothers, start from when their daughters are young, to help them sift through all the messages that are projected, by having open conversations. Some of the conversations might be a bit awkward but to help our children stay balanced in a world that is prone to extremes, we really have no choice.

In this episode of Wake Up Nigeria, we discuss some of these conversations. Let’s know what you think.

We must also be mindful in teaching our daughters by the things we say and do, to be:

• Kind (to self and others) but not doormats.
• Self-confident which is a “must have” skill in this age, but not arrogant.
• Assertive not passive or aggressive.
• More attractive and less provocative.

We should let our daughters know that the size tag on their clothes does not determine their self-worth. Talk to them about the value of hard work and the importance of striving to excel in ones chosen vocations. Talk about money. Our daughters should be productive individuals, they should earn an income and have good financial management skills. I need to stress a bit because I have heard one too many stories about females who have felt pressured to compromise or tolerate abuse either in the workplace or at home simply because they were financially handicapped. Financial independence is vital for their well being. Finally, developing domestic skills and showing basic human decency (being polite, courteous, civil, thoughtful, tactful and treating others as you want to be treated) is also still very relevant today.

This blog is powered by RAVE Et Al (RAVE) a social enterprise that partners with parents, schools, government & other stakeholders to provide relevant capacity building programs for children/teens and emerging adults (ages 8 and above) in the area of values, life skills & digital citizenship education.

As the pioneer DQ Ambassador in Nigeria (first in Africa) and a member of the DQ Coalition, RAVE Et Al is championing the #DQEveryChild initiative in Nigeria. Our mission is to enhance our children’s Digital Intelligence Quotient (DQ) and set a global standard of digital citizenship for all children around the world.