Confidence Starts VERY Early

I just saw this article:

You Are Your Own Glass Ceiling
We've come a long way, ladies. But here's why good girls still finish last. Newsweek

I can address the questions it poses with the logic I have applied to my daughters.

1. In the 20 some years that I have been raising my girls, never did I ever say, think or intimate to them that anyone else's goal was greater than theirs. No one else even existed in our discussions. I never thought of anyone else's goals. Consequently, neither did they. Or if they did, it was only after they had fulfilled their own requirements. They have all done community service projects and helped other students/organizations.

2. Any time anyone, wanted something from one of my girls that was helpful to their child, I objected. One mother said, Your daughter makes my son a better student. To which my response was, "Well, that is not her responsibility. It's yours. She is dedicated to herself and her success at this point in her life. Why is it my child's responsibility to make your child a better student, more responsible, on time, organized? Those are your - the parent's- obligations.

3. And finally, as a mature woman, I don't subscribe to the typical parent trappings of girls. Moms who get together while their daughters are performing. I don't form social groups based on their activity. I have my own life. I have friends based on my interests. I lead by example. Daughters are watching what we do. If we act based on public opinion, we continue to produce daughters who are "nice" as the article highlights.

As I trailblaze this platform, many of my counterparts are not happy, but my daughters and those that they influence are looking to re-write the ceiling.