Advertising to mothers is a trend that goes back, I suspect, to the dawn of advertising. It’s first-class manipulation, tapping into our deepest biology: the parental urge to put our kids’ needs first, to always want what’s best for them. “Choosy mothers choose…” etc. It’s also deeply sexist and dehumanizing. Constantly addressing women as “mothers”… Continue reading The Unsubtle Sexism of Advertising to Mothers
Category: parenting
Rossella, Then and Now
21 years ago today my daughter Rossella was born. Now she’s grown up into an amazing young woman. Happy birthday, Ross! You might also like: No related posts.
Raising a Non-Believer
A reader has just written to me: “One was on an essay about Religion as a Cause of Strife in the World – you can bet she went to town on that!” this is a comment you wrote on Ross’ India Diary and i have always wanted to ask you why you believe that Ross… Continue reading Raising a Non-Believer
She’s Leaving Home
What with all the preparations, end of the school year, and various family medical traumas, I have barely had time to dwell on the fact that our daughter is about to leave home. It’s just as well that I haven’t had that time. Ross will be away for a full ten months (yes, I will… Continue reading She’s Leaving Home
Raising a Confident Daughter
One of my newsletter readers asked for child-raising advice. Well, that’s putting it a bit strongly, but, apropos of my own daughter, she asked: “…what do you think contributed to her self-confidence and caring for others?” …and I felt an article coming on. Not that I have definitive answers, or simple ones. I have wondered… Continue reading Raising a Confident Daughter