Mum Rewrites Daughter's Sexist Homework To Challenge Gender Stereotypes About Mothers Returning To Work | HuffPost Life

'Lisa was not happy her mother was back at work.'

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

|

A mum decided to rewrite her daughter’s homework worksheet to give it a feminist twist after being frustrated by the sexist message it was sending.

Lynne Polvino, from New York, US, shared a photo of her daughter’s worksheet that required the young girl to fill in the missing words.

The story was about a child being unhappy that her mum was going back to work. It referenced the working dad making a bad breakfast.

“Here’s the homework assignment my daughter brought home yesterday, side-by-side with my rewrite,” the mum wrote when sharing the photos on Facebook on 23 May.

The worksheet began: “Lisa was not happy her mother was back at work. Before Lisa was born, her mother worked in a big office. Yesterday, she told Lisa that she was going back to work.

“The morning was terrible. Lisa had to get to school on time. Her father had to get to work on time. And now, her mother was in a rush, too.

“Lisa’s father made breakfast, it was not too good.”

The story ended that the mother came home early from work to spend time with her daughter after school, which made Lisa feel better.

Frustrated, Polvino rewrote the story with a more positive angle of a mum returning to work from maternity leave.

“Lisa was happy, her mother was back at work,” the new worksheet read. “Before Lisa was born, her mother worked in a big office.

“Because it valued her important contributions to the workplace, her employer offered nearly a year of paid maternity leave and flex time upon her return.”

Polvino changed the story so the dad was at home with the kids.

“Her father was home on his paid paternity leave, caring for Lisa’s younger brother and contributing equally to the running of the household,” it continued.

“Lisa’s father made breakfast. It was very good and he had Lisa wash the dishes because all functional humans should learn to clean up after themselves.”

The rewritten worksheet ended: “Lisa was glad she was growing up in a society free of gender bias and misogyny.”

Polvino’s Facebook post received praise.

“This is an example of good parenting,” one person commented.

Another wrote: “As a feminist, I love this. As a teacher, I love this even more.”

Before You Go

10 Things All Toddlers Really Want To Do

Post things(01 of10)

There is something so brilliantly intriguing about putting something through a hole and it just, well, disappearing. Forever. So, if they can’t reach the letter box to post valuable items from the inside of your house to the outside of your house (car keys for example), they will definitely settle for your credit cards and a gap between the floorboards. (credit:Lumi Images/Elsa Dunkel)

Swing on the curtains(02 of10)

Yes, they’ve been told time and time again that if they hang on them the whole pole will fall off the wall... but they don’t believe you, they think you’re just being mean. (credit:RJW)

Cover the bathroom with toothpaste and stick stuff to it(03 of10)

It’s frustrating for them that something which looks like glue is only ever dispatched in tiny, pea-sized amounts – and disappears in their mouth. (credit:Getty Images)

Touch the toilet brush(04 of10)

Simply because ever since they have been able to move, they’ve been told not to touch it, or indeed go anywhere near it. They don’t just want to touch it though, do they? No, actually they want to clean the floor, and the walls, and the bath with it. (credit:Getty Images)

Cut their own hair(05 of10)

It’s something they have been thinking about for AGES. Leave a pair of craft scissors unattended at any point, even the non-pointy ones, and you’ll find your child 15 minutes later, hiding behind the sofa, sitting on tufts. (credit:Summer Derrick)

Write on your work(06 of10)

Yes, they have their own paper, but it’s just not the same. They might do one or two pictures on their own pad, but in your diary? They really want to do a picture and ‘writing’ on every last page. Just for you. (credit:Claudia Gopperl)

Take their wheeled toy/buggy/scooter up the stairs(07 of10)

Warnings about the dangers of wheeled toys at the top of a staircase fall on deaf ears when all they can focus on is HOW FAST THEY COULD GO DOWN! (credit:Frida Marquez)

Drink squash with no water in it(08 of10)

They might not even drink squash as a general rule, but they have a very strong suspicion that neat squash is amazingly delicious. First chance they get, they’ll grab themselves a cup/bowl/vase, fill it with neat squash and hide somewhere, grimacing as they persevere and force it down (because, surprisingly enough, it’s actually quite foul). (credit:Getty Images/Gallo Images ROOTS Collection)

Make an actual successful phone call(09 of10)

This usually results in having a proper person on the other end – even if they are saying “HELLO? HELLO? WHO IS THIS? PUT THE PHONE DOWN!” or, alternatively “Emergency services, which service do you require?” They’ll never give up. (credit:Getty Images/RooM RF)

Give the cat a bath(10 of10)

When they try, and fail, they’ll really want to make the cat wear a doll’s outfit. When they try this, and fail again, they’ll really want to decorate the cat with very sticky stickers. Bingo! (credit:jurgita.photography)

Suggest a correction

|