No jo mo siete in Hot town, summery in the city - 2017

I was pondering today’s question: who makes a good role model for both males and females. I decided I knew the best place to find an answer so, on the walk to school this morning, I asked my youngest daughter. The reason I asked her? She’s 10 and 95% of the time she’s mistaken for a boy, just because she prefers her hair to be short so it’s easier to deal with (like me, she has very thick hair which is an utter pain when you’re a kid) and constantly has a football (soccer) attached to her foot. She actually has a very feminine face but people don’t notice things like that, they take in the whole image. Because of this she is very pro equality and anti ‘boy things’ and ‘girl things’.

So, we were walking to school (no football but bouncing a little bouncy ball she got when we met another PBer at Darwin’s house a couple of years ago) and I asked her. What would make someone a good role model to both boys and girls. She thought for a few beats before replying, “Someone who isn’t sexist. And someone who isn’t all judgey.”

I think that pretty much sums it up. The trouble is, I can’t think of anyone who fits that bill at all. However, anyone can be a good role model to both genders, just by demonstrating kind, calm, accepting and caring behaviours. It’s what I’ve tried to do in my various jobs with kids.