EDUCATION GUEST POST CAITLIN FROM: Mother Down Under.

Today’s guest post comes from Caitlin at Mother DownUnder. I don’t know how Caitlin manages everything in her life, she is mother to adorable Toddler C, works as a theater nurse, teaches Hypnobirthing, is studying to obtain her Masters in Health Practice, and has her fantastic blog, I am more than a little impressed with her. Caitlin is one talented woman! Make sure you pop over to Caitlin's blog, and two facebook pages and give her a lot of love.

I remember reading an article about the differences between raising boys and girls.  

The author claimed that when a mother is rearing a son she isn't as concerned about their independence..."mommies' boys" are tolerated and even celebrated in our society and since boys will grow up to be men, their dominance is assured.  So boys are coddled and cuddled and indulged without a mother wondering how this will affect their future. 

However a mother who is raising a girl worries about her being independent and self-assured enough to survive and thrive what still is a man's world.  As a result little girls are encouraged and even pushed to become strong and resilient and taught that they have to prove their worth.

Reflecting on my childhood, I know that my parents believed that education was the way to create independent women and I know that they sacrificed all that they had and then some to ensure that my sister and I had the best education available to us.  

I am sure that there were emotional costs...my sister and I both went to boarding school starting at age thirteen.  

And there certainly were financial costs...when I add up the cost of what has been fed to my brain, it is staggering.

I wonder if I will make such sacrifices to educate my son?  

Caitlin's gorgeous son.

I absolutely think that education is important for both boys and girls.  And I will of course do all that it takes to ensure that my son enjoys learning.  

But do I believe that education is as crucial for my son and his future as it would be for a daughter's future? 

Do I think my son will be appreciated and valued for who he is regardless of where he goes to high school?

Do I think girls have it that easy?  No.  I think girls and women are taught that being female is not enough and that education provides them with something concrete that proves that they have value.

I hope that, by the time my boy becomes a man, the world becomes a more fair and equitable place.  

And I hope that he grows up appreciating girls and women for who they are and celebrates their inherent worth.

Please Note: Images and words are Caitlin's unless otherwise indicated.