A Reading List for Moms Who Want To Raise Feminist Sons

by Denise Schipani

Photo credit: Portra Images, DigitalVision/Getty Images

Once I realized that my family would be mostly male (I’m the only double-X here), I oriented myself toward the task of raising good men. But as those boys edge closer to actual manhood — as the 14-year-old’s shoulders get nearly as broad as his dad’s and the 12-year-old starts learning “embarrassing” information about sex and reproduction in his health class — I’m feeling my good-man project needs more specificity. I don’t just want them to be good. They’re already pretty good (kind, curious, mostly respectful, good huggers).

I want them to be feminists. I want them to understand, reflexively, that men and women are equal — not because I say so, but because it feels intuitive to them. Because it’s true.

My efforts began with example-setting: There’s no one adult in this house who exclusively either brings home the bacon, or cooks it. My husband and I both wield vacuums and snow shovels. Our entire early parenting journey involved almost literal juggling of the baby and the sitter, the shopping and the bill-paying.

I started talking about feminist issues with our sons when they were tots, and I basically haven’t stopped. We talk about how women are depicted in commercials and TV shows, how female politicians are sometimes characterized, and how women are often viewed or labeled in terms of their relationship to a man.

We also turn to books, which can do two things in any mom’s quest to raise feminist sons: help you educate yourself on the challenges and issues around feminism, and present your sons with stories of strong and forthright women and girls.

For Parents:

For Kids:

What other empowering stories would you recommend to boys and their moms?