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girl
power: boosting leadership
qualities by emily egan ? y ou throw like a girl.? ?you fight like a girl.? ?you act like a girl.? remarks including the words ?like a girl? were once usually meant to characterize someone as weaker or more sensitive than one believed that he or she should be, and these phrases usually undermine both children and adults. in recent times, the meaning of these phrases have been flipped on their heads and are now being used in a more positive manner as women have become more confident and more outspoken of their place in today?s society. however, the one phrase that is not used as much as the others? lead like a girl. today, women occupy a number of leadership positions across the country, but because of their gender, their leadership is viewed differently in comparison to the men who hold the same positions. because of this, many young girls
are discouraged from working toward obtaining those positions. how can we, as a society, encourage more women to work toward attaining these leadership positions? like many other aspects in shaping how a child grows up, it starts with how you, the parent, encourage your daughters to channel the leader within them. leadership qualities at an early age, certain characteristics begin to present themselves in girls. some girls may be quieter and more passive in their actions and others may seem more assertive and aggressive in theirs. if your daughter is more like the latter, this could lead you to believe that you are already taking the right steps into encouraging her to be a leader in the future. however, while young girls may have no trouble expressing these characteristics in the beginning, many of those same girls have trouble keeping their assertive and aggressive attitudes as they grow. for the past 16 years, dr. laura choate has authored a number of articles and books concerning the wellness of girls and women alike, and with her experience as a licensed professional counselor, dr. choate has come across multiple cases where girls have had trouble keeping their assertive and aggressive attitudes. ?around the time of early adolescence (ages 11-12), girls? self- esteem declines steeply and their levels of depression and anxiety start to skyrocket,? says dr. choate. therefore, when a young girl does behave more aggressive and assertive in her actions, parents are encouraged to praise these behaviors so their daughters will not experience as much, if any, drop in their self-esteem in their pre-teen years. ?girls who have confidence in themselves during their childhood years, and who believe that their opinions are valid and valued, are less likely to experience these 2 8 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | j a n u a r y 2 0 1 9
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