Beyond stereotypes

This was first published on the PARLE-G parenting blog here.



I am no longer the little toddler who wanted to be teacher like my mom or the
mad little girl who was fascinated by how electricity gets transmitted to the
whole town from her dad’s office.

In my teenage years the ordinariness of my parents and their professions used
to bother me. But now as a parent I know that even in their ordinariness both
of them made great parents.

My openness to gender roles comes from the fact that the division of labour in
our household was never gender-based and neither was respect for any kind
of work. My dad would iron my school dress, make a tiffin as easily as my mom
would watch a cricket match and manage the finances.

Me being their only child was never raised to be like a son ( bete jaisa),but be
a confident and strong willed person. They respected my choices and accepted
my male friends, my late hours at theatre rehearsals, my travelling alone,
though I now know how scary it must have been as a parent to let their little
girl explore the wild world alone.

Today I thank God for making me their daughter. Happy parents day Mummy
& Papa!