Girls on the Edge pt.2

Well I am sure of it... I do NOT want to have a daughter. I am mostly joking of course, but this book can get your mind going down a rabbit hole....

Early in chapter 5, Sax is speaking to early childhood education and says that its "all about doing the right thing at the right time." This advice seems to sum up the advice of the entire book on raising a daughter.

I found chapter 5 to be very interesting. The idea that waiting to begin school till age 7 rather than 5, may produce children that are more ready to learn and more excited to learn in a classroom setting. The parents role in choosing when to start their child is obviously most important. As the book suggest if a girl is not ready to begin kindergarten there is a chance she could be misdiagnosed with ADHD. The medications and other implications that follow can be problematic. The parents role in educating themselves on these issues and understanding what kind of a school is developmentally appropriate for their daughter is a tough task requiring not only education but also socio-economic assets.

I have known of the "monkey tests" for sometime and have often referred to the tests when debating friends who claim gender roles are ONLY social constructs. Adding the "what" and "where" systems of the human brain to my arguments will be fun. As a teacher, knowledge of gender differences is essential. Finding creative ways to breakdown gender stereotypes will help both male and female students.

Sax suggests that anyone can teach boys with the right strategies but to teach a girl you have to really care about her as an individual and she needs to know that you care. I have found this to be very true through my coaching experience with both boys and girls. When I figured out that simply checking in with a player as she was shooting baskets before practice or greeting her as she came into the gym made a big difference when it came to her attention and respect during practice.

Sax speaks extensively on spirituality. I was raised catholic and went to private school for 12 years. Today I am more or less against organized religions and think that some can be quite dangerous, especially for young girls.  I worry about children being indoctrinated into religions and it is difficult to here conversations at school about bible study. Ideally I want children to explore and learn about their spiritual sides for themselves but I am not sure what the teachers role is in that pursuit.