Mom Praises Her 8-Year-Old Son's Honest Answer To Outdated Question He Received On A School Assignment
Proud mom moment!
Julia M Cameron / Pexels Sharing an image of a school assignment question and her son's clever answer to Twitter, Stephanie Parks Taylor shared the "mic drop" comment her son wasn't afraid to write down for a question he had gotten on a worksheet at school.
"My [8-year-old] with the worksheet mic drop," Taylor wrote in the caption.
She shared the honest answer her son gave to a 'sexist' question on his school assignment.
In the photo of her son's assignment, the 8-year-old had been asked whether or not a woman in a drawing was a "Miss, Ms., or Mrs.?"
The worksheet picture depicted three women: Sarah, who was labeled as being underage. Mary, who was holding a sign that said "unmarried or unknown marital status" and Lara, who was holding up her hand with an arrow pointing to her ring finger. At the bottom of Lara's photo, there was the text that read: "married or widowed."
The message was meant to teach children about context clues, but the question itself was extremely outdated and frankly sexist. However, Taylor's son seemed to think the exact same thing, and instead of answering the question, he simply wrote: "I think she is a Dr."
Photo: Twitter
In the comments section, many people joined in Taylor's proud-mom moment and pointed out that her son inadvertently agrees that women's identities shouldn't be tied to whatever prefix comes before their names.
"Kudos to you, Mom. You’re raising that kid right," one Twitter user wrote, while another user added, "Really highlights how hyperfocused our society is on the marital status of women. Seems like a much better opportunity to teach children to ask people for their pronouns."
A woman's sense of self and existence shouldn't be tied to outdated gender norms.
It seems only women are judged and addressed according to their marital status and age while men are only ever referred to as "Mr.," which is a direct result of outdated gender practices and the patriarchal ideology that all women are "fit for" is marriage.
Women lead diverse and multifaceted lives. Some choose to marry, some do not, and others may be in various stages of their relationship journey. Reducing a woman's identity to her marital status neglects her accomplishments, interests, career, passions, and other aspects that make her a complete and complex human being.
Men are never defined or judged based on their marital status, so women should not face different treatment or expectations. These titles are also not inclusive in the slightest, as gender is a complete spectrum, and many people in the world do not fall into the binary.
A woman's identity should be respected and acknowledged as multi-dimensional, with her marital or relationship status simply being just one aspect of her life. From a young age, children should be taught to look at someone's accomplishments, dreams, and individuality.
Women should be allowed to define their own identities on their terms, with the freedom to embrace various life paths without judgment or limitation.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.