Normalize “crying” be it boys or girls, young or old and “crying” not to be seen as a sign of weakness.
According to studies, crying is a great emotional let-out and really helps to relieve stress. One always feels good after a good cry. But unfortunately, something so natural is considered to be a sign of weakness and people will often pass remarks as “cry baby”, “pussy” or “stop crying like a girl” (especially for a boy).
Since childhood, boys are taught that they have to be strong and by strong it means not to cry. I just don’t understand the logic!! When emotions don’t find a release in a natural way and one keeps subduing their feelings it will 100% prove to be harmful for our mental health and is bound to have negative consequences in the future.
Even psychiatrists will agree that the root cause of so many mental disorders is suppressed emotions and resistance to face them. What you resist will persist.
If you don’t let boys cry (considered to be girly/womanly), emapathize or sympathize or display emotions (like sadness, anger grief, love etc) freely, play games that are apparently meant for girls, discussing daily problems at length, watch serials and if they do so call them “girly”, “gay”, “pussy” etc then how can you expect them to respect women in the future because one is reinforcing all such behaviors or traits apparently only associated with women to be somehow “not good” or “respectable”.
One more thing I would like to normalise is the choice to be a “house husband/ homemaker”.
If a woman wants to be a homemaker it is absolutely fine. Rather too ambitious women are looked down upon in society and if she earns more than the husband she will be called as the “man of the house”. I mean why? Why can’t she be called “woman of the house” only. If a girl wants to be successful she will be called “bada aadmi banegi” and why not “badi aurat/lady/ ladki banegi”.
Why success, name and fame is only attributed to men? I know the primitive human since the stone age was like that but now times have changed and terminology should change too along with society getting accustomed to seeing women as successful beings.
Some men want to be a homemaker and find joy looking after kids. This should become “palatable” to society. I remember in my college days one of my mallu friends told how her father stayed at home and looked after the kids out of his own will while mom who was a successful OBG doctor with her practice was earning for all of them and both found pride in their roles. But their relatives and neighbours mocked them. I found my friend and her family to be so progressive and evolved.
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