LITTLE GIRLS SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD.

LITTLE GIRLS SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD. Not too many other phrases in the english lexicon that make me seethe more. I heard this wayyyy too often growing up. It’s one of the things that shaped who I was at various points. As a child so cripplingly shy I would hide under tables or as a teen who would barely speak. I thought it was wrong to be vocal, to be me and the only thing that mattered was how I looked and how ‘disgustingly overweight’ I was. I was always a gifted student, but I didn’t think my ideas, my opinions, or my personality mattered, only my dress size and making myself small. It’s taken years of hard work to unravel this line of thinking. I don’t usually chime in on political things publicly, as there are many others out there far more eloquent and well versed, but seeing all the press about Greta Thunberg, and hearing that phrase bandied about again got me wanting to be vocal because it matters. It matters because I work with a lot of women from completely different backgrounds and help their journey’s to a healthier lifestyle. Every damn day I see the after effects of this line of thinking. I hear about the eating disorders, the judgement, the hatred, the abuse, the anxiety and insecurities and how this effects them. And I see the need to encourage girls to give more of a fuck about issues that matter, not what they look like or lack (or perceive themselves to) for them to grow up with a healthier outlook and attitude toward themselves . It matters to have a voice, speak their truth and avoid growing up thinking they are less than worthy. It matters because it affects all of us. By silencing their voices we encourage them to hide and hold damaging secrets. They will continue to fall victim to the abuse and self harm. They will blame themselves. They will think their value as a person equates to how they are seen and not the many other things they have to offer. Their heart, their ideas, their wisdom. Little girls (and big ones) should be seen AND heard, and encouraged to follow their hopes and dreams just like every other person on the damn planet. That is if we want it to be a happier and healthier place to live. I sure know I do.