Dads, Daughters and Halloween

It’s that time of year.  The leaves are changing colors, the brisk coolness of Fall is in the air, football season is shaping up and retailers begin their sexualized targeting of young girls with weak Daddies.

As Deborah L. Tolman said a few years ago,

“mini versions of sexy women will be winding their way through the streets of America this Halloween. They’ll have bought their French maid outfits, pink pussycat heels, and midriff-baring Bad Girl University sweaters online or at a big box store near you.”

For pre-teens and teens everywhere scary or cute is out and sexy is in.  All the talk about raising ‘glass ceilings’ and empowering young girls use to their brains and exercise their leadership gifts is meaningless babble if we reward a culture that uses and abuses our girls instead of protecting and  inspiring them flourish.

We can blame the money hungry big box…