“When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a ‘leader.’ Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded “bossy.” Words like bossy send a message: don’t raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys—a trend that continues into adulthood. Together we can encourage girls to lead.”
Ban Bossy. That is the slogan of a new campaign and it’s a great message for all gals of all agesCheck out the great youtube video here starring Beyonce and Jane Lynch. The idea is part of LeanIn.Org, the nonprofit organization founded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, to empower all women to achieve their ambitions and follow their dreams.
Tool for Tuesday: I’m not bossy. I’m the boss of my own life. Not anyone else’s but my own.
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About dianabletter
Diana Bletter is the author of several books, including The Invisible Thread: A Portrait of Jewish American Women (with photographs by Lori Grinker), shortlisted for a National Jewish Book Award. Her novel, A Remarkable Kindness, (HarperCollins) was published in 2015. She is the First Prize Winner of Moment Magazine's 2019 Fiction Contest. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Commentary, tabletmag, Glamour, The Forward, The North American Review, Times of Israel, and is a reporter for Israel21C, and many other publications. She is author of Big Up Yourself: It's About Time You Like Being You and The Mom Who Took off On Her Motorcycle, a memoir of her 10,000-mile motorcycle trip to Alaska and back to New York. She lives in a small beach village in Western Galilee, Israel, with her husband and family. She is a member of the local hevra kadisha, the burial circle, and a Muslim-Jewish-Christian-Druze women's group in the nearby town of Akko. And, she likes snowboarding and climbing trees.
DIANA BLETTER 
My granddaughter has a tee-shirt I love: YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME. I’M THE BOSS OF ME. She’s a great girl and doesn’t use this to argue with her parents or teachers, but to remind herself that she is who she is and not just who others think she should be. I certainly didn’t have a tee-shirt like that when I was ten!
Your granddaughter has the right idea! She’s the boss of herself. Thanks for sharing, Marylin! Go, Grace (isn’t that her name?)
Diana, it doesn’t seem quite fair that girls are bossy and boys are assertive. Looks like LeanIn.org has the right idea. Thanks for enlightening me. 🙂
You’re right, Tracy! Thanks for your comment!
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