i remember someone very angrily scoffing that everyone called her "little chrissy evert." he thought that was insulting to her, marginalizing (though we didn't use that word back then), and demeaning (didn't use that one, either). funny, but i don't recall this guy ever saying a word about how they used to call stevie wonder the same thing - "little stevie wonder."
i wonder why not. (gag, nancy.)
why was it bad to call a young girl, which is what she was, "little chrissy" but not bad to call a young boy, which is what he was, "little stevie?" but more than any of that, why is it bad at all? i think it's nice! i think it's a compliment! i think it's another way of saying "child prodigy!"
i also think it's true. they were kids! they were little! when did being a little kid turn into a bad thing?
i think this angry person who got his feathers all ruffled up about "little chrissy evert" thought he was being her champion (no pun intended). he probably thought he was being the next alan alda of feminism. maybe he was.........for women. but what about for little girls? where was the championing for them? it was nowhere. it was like denying them. it was like saying a kid being little is a bad thing so let's pretend they're not.
two morals to this story: one, being a kid is good.
and two......the further you get from truth......
the angrier you'll be. no matter what size you are.
(be sure to teach that to your little ones.)
