Let's Hear it For The Boys

Raising boys can be like a daily foray to another planet for mothers. (After all, boys are from Jupiter and girls are from Mars, like the old playground chant goes.) From trying to remain conscious and alert during seemingly endless soliloquies about the virtues of Nerf guns, Pokemon,and Lego mini-figures who have been adorned to look like action heros to trying to referee what we mothers have been assured is normal play for boys--- the impromptu wrestling match with another boy, Moms are at their core just trying their best to help bring up good boys who will become good men (at least that is what THIS mom is trying to do.)

 William started the 8th grade today. At the end of 7th grade he was chosen by his principle to serve as a school ambassador this year. Normally, this is not a role William would take on, but with some gentle prompting he accepted this role with pride. His principle told him it was because she saw leadership potential in him. William came home with the news and wondered aloud what on earth she had seen that made her think he was a leader. Tonight, I believe he answered his own question.

Tomorrow his school is having a welcome back assembly. The ambassadors have been asked to put on a skit to illustrate why the other students should follow school rules. One of the teachers is orchestrating this effort and has asked some of the girls who will be performing to wear clothes that are not school appropriate. The boys in the skit will then be completely distracted from doing their school work, unable to take their eyes off of the girls because of their revealing outfits. William came and sat next to me this evening and voiced his opinion over the message of this skit as well as his desire not to participate in this part of the program. He felt it was a wrong message to send to kids. First he didn't feel like it was fair to portray the boys in that light. The injustice of the stereotype of boys was just too much for him. He felt that boys can be expected to not just gawk at girls all day even if they are wearing more revealing clothing, and to show that they just couldn't control themselves was unfair. Next he thought of it from the girls side and said "Is that really the message they want to send to girls? That if you wear a certain type of clothing that you will get undivided attention from all the boys?" After holding all of these thoughts in all day, they poured out of him in a quiet moment. He was sick over the thought that he would be participating in sending these messages he didn't believe should be sent. He thought about it for a while and then decided he would bring up his concerns with the teacher tomorrow and if they still wanted to press on, he would ask to not be in that part of the skit.

So my dear William, if ever you wonder what they saw when they saw your "leadership potential", this right here, is it.