Recent Posts
Inspiration July 30, 2018
ENTITY recommends these childhood heroes from the '80s, '90s and the '00s to share with your daughter and the girls who are the next generation of #WomenThatDo.
via Pexels/@skitterphotoIn the hard world of #adulting, it’s easy to reminisce on admirable childhood heroes. These characters taught us lessons, like standing up for yourself and the importance of family and friends.
Below is a list of childhood heroes spanning from the 1980s to the present who you can pass on to the next generation of #WomenThatDo.
The 90s are once again in vogue, so feel free to indulge in your nostalgia by introducing this series by Ann M. Martin to the next generation. With a combined total of 213 easy-to-read novels, there’s a lot to love about these entrepreneurial teens. Told in the first person, the cast of characters is diverse and their challenges are relatable. Kristy is a tomboy, Jessi experiences racism, Claudia has dyslexia and Abby’s father died in a car accident, just to mention a few. As the Club members care for the neighborhood kids, they face classic challenges such as friendship issues, sibling rivalry and divorce. As an additional plus, the books are most definitely available at the local library. After all, who has room for that many books?
This princess is anything but a “damsel in distress.” She knew how to advocate for her needs, like a cave so she can change into an ogre in private. When Robin Hood and his Merry Men invaded her personal space, she beat them up by herself. There was no man necessary. Additionally, she stood up to her parents when they were sketched out by her swamp-loving husband. Sure, she was insecure about her appearance at times, quite relatable, but she and Shrek worked on this issue together throughout “Shrek 2.”
Shrek deserves credit for supporting her body positivity. In fact, Fiona is so great that I dressed up as her for Halloween! If you don’t want to copy me or you don’t want to dress up as yet another Princess, here are additional suggestions for cute superhero costumes.
Beyond her superhero powers, which are enviable, Elastigirl is a hard-working mom. She constantly calls out attempts to dim her shine and demands equal respect to the male superheroes. If you’ve seen the sequel to the first “Incredibles” movie, you’ll know that this movie pays a lot more attention to her than the original film did. A housewife in the first film, she switches roles in the second film and has to navigate feelings of doubt and guilt along the way. To his credit, Mr. Incredible gains a deeper appreciation for his wife’s job as the movie progresses.
Let’s be real, in this animated series, which aired from 2005 to 2008, Katara’s character matures and progresses just as much as Aang’s. She masters water-bending, improves her relationship with her brother and overcomes her prejudice against the Fire Nation. Katara also saves Aang a lot when he confronts enemies or gets into trouble. As an added bonus, she serves as an important mentor figure to Korra, the next Avatar, in old age.
Seriously! Sharing stories about your childhood is a great way to bond with your (future) daughter or granddaughter down the line, no matter her age. I love hearing my Mom tell crazy stories about traveling in her twenties. She doesn’t often open up like this, so I treasure it when she does. Take pride in your past because it’s made you the person you are today, and share it with the next generation of #WomenThatDo. They’ll be glad you did.
