This is a sponsored post for Always.
I recently turned 30. While I’m now an adult with two kids of my own, I still remember what it was like to be a teen girl. There was always some reason I felt bad about myself, whether it was because my friends were spreading gossip, I was struggling with a project, or I wasn’t good at whatever sport we happened to be playing in gym class. Luckily, as time has gone on, I’ve realized that my strengths and weaknesses in different fields are what makes me unique- and that friends who spread gossip about you are not friends at all. But since I can’t go back and talk to the teenage me and instill some insight, I’m making sure to do what I can to help support the next generation.
I have been seeing a lot of great campaigns out there to support girls and women, and especially teen girls. One of them is the Always Live #LikeAGirl campaign- and it had me in tears by the end of the video. Watch it before you keep reading- it’s so worth the watch.
I’m raising two boys and they won’t have to deal with being told they can’t do something just because of their gender. But even though I’m not raising a girl, I’m taking proactive measures to make sure that my sons do not contribute to this rhetoric and that they are part of the change that is long overdue. In our home, it is not an insult to be called a girl. Any time my kids have tried to insult each other with that one, I remind them that one of their favorite people {that’d be me} is a girl. I remind them that missing a shot doesn’t make you a girl and that even if it did, there’s nothing wrong with being a girl. And I remind them that there are a whole lot of girls out there who can do a whole lot of things better than a whole lot of boys. Gender has nothing to do with skill, talent, or drive.
If you are a parent today, or even a Grandparent, I hope you’ll take a minute to watch and share this video to see what I mean about the long-overdue change that is needed. I think we are definitely on the right track, especially with companies like Always and Walmart doing so much to bring attention to the issues. But we definitely need to come together and teach our kids to think differently. Kids don’t know better on their own- we need to model the behavior and share the thinking that girls and women deserve. We shouldn’t be an insult, a mockery, or a downgrade. We should be equal.
If you love this initiative that Always has taken, you’ll be excited to know that they’re supporting in other ways, too. Period poverty- not having access to the products necessary during periods- affects 1 in 5 teens to the point that they have missed activities because of it and Always is helping raise awareness for this problem. Always and Walmart are giving back by donating a year’s worth of period supplies to 50 teams in 50 states- so that girls never have to miss a game just because they couldn’t afford period products. I’ll be sharing more about that next week, be sure to come back and read more about how to help #EndPeriodPoverty!
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