we all knew i'd be "that" kind of mom, didn't we?

here's a copy of the email i sent to pbskids. org. vanessa, you will be proud of me i think.

Hello-

My daughter loves the "build your own superhero" game on pbskids.org, found under the Superwhy "games" tab. The game involves getting to choose a superhero feature each time a word is correctly spelled; first an outfit, then a cape, then a mask, and finally, a chest decoration.

I'd like to suggest, though, that the options not be so stereo-typically gender-specific. Four of the six girl superhero outfit, cape, and mask options are a minor variation on pink and purple (which in and of itself wouldn't prompt me to write). What I really don't like are the gender options for the chest decoration.

If a child chooses to build a boy superhero, he can choose between an airplane, the planet Earth with some kind of spaceship-like ring around it, a rocketship, a Bohr model of the atom, and a dinosaur. Build a girl and you can choose between a butterfly, a shooting star, hearts, a flower, and a bunny.

I think it this subtly reinforces what children of each gender "should" be interested in. I believe that we need to let our girls know that rocketships and atoms are OK topics for girls, and let our boys know that they can pick a bunny or heart if that's what they want.

Please give all of the kids all of the options! I want my daughter to be as free to choose atomic girl as she is to choose flower girl.

Thanks for your time and attention,
Desiree Halter


it was the bohr model that pushed me over the edge. because you know, physics is for boys.

i'll keep you all posted on any response or action.