To put it simply, YES! There can be sexist stickers and they are designed for our children to want them and so we will buy them.

While I was in a dollar store recently, looking for project supplies and what not, I came across a sticker that made me stop dead in my tracks and want to run through the aisles screaming. The sticker had a picture of Cinderella on it with the words “Prince Worthy” written on it.  

Some of you may think this is a cute sticker, not a sexist sticker but let me break it down.

Do we want to send the message to our little girls that their worth is dependent on a man or “Prince”? Do we want to show our little girls that being blonde and skinny means you are worthy of a “Prince”? That is what makes this a sexist sticker.

The worth of our girls should be based off of more than if they can get man. It should be based off of the fact that they are alive and worthy of everything because of that simple fact. Their worth should be determine based of of their skills, their personality, their intelligence and all the other things that make a person a person.

Would this sexist sticker ever read “Princess Worthy” for our boys? I highly doubt it. That is because our society deems our boys and men worthy based off of their success, not their appearance and ability to find a woman. Men are allowed to be single, men are allowed to be “ugly”, men are allowed to be successful in multiple domains (ie: work and sports). Our girls and women are not. This message being sent to our boys that masculinity is also rigidly define is just as damaging to them and another problem that needs to quickly be tackled. This is why this sexist sticker needs to be taken off the shelf.

As parents and caregivers we can instill in our girls and boys that their worth is based on who they are, not what society thinks they should be. We should be critical of the toys, clothing, television shows etc that our children watch. We cannot idly sit by and think that they are not absorbing this information and using it to define themselves. Parents, you know that there are times when you see an ad in a magazine and wish you looked liked that model, or you wish you were rich enough to buy that new car. We all experience the pressure, the questioning of our worthiness because of what society says.

Ignore this sexist sticker, focus on what makes you happy, what makes you who you are and teach that to your children.

 

Resources

Developing Your Child’s Self-Esteem

Media Literacy Fundamentals

(Photo credit: www.prideinmadness.wordpress.com)

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