Parents should not call their daughters “pretty” or “princess”, one of Britain’s largest nursery groups says. In guidance to mums and dads they are also told not to call girls “tomboys” or say they are “bossy” in a way that sounds disparaging.
The advice, emailed to parents who attend Horizons Nurseries, defines girls as “children who identify as female” and cautions mums and dads not to praise them for good behaviour.
Parents are told to “reflect” on how they are bringing up their daughters saying: “It is so easy to fall into a pattern of praising a girl’s appearance (“You look so pretty!”), labelling her behaviour as “good”, or congratulating her when she does something perfectly.”
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The advice from Horizons Nurseries, which runs more than 300 community and workplace nurseries in Britain, adds that parents should “become aware of gender stereotypes presented in the media your family consumes”.
It goes on to tell them to “fill your home with books, toys, and decor that do not conform to specific gender roles (eg, buy books about female construction workers and encourage girls to engage in maths and science activities).
“Try to eliminate gender-based references to your child, such as “princess” or “tomboy” or phrases such as, “Young ladies don’t behave that way.”’
The mother of a child at a nursery in Kent accused Bright Horizons of “dictating to parents their own political views on how to raise their children”.
US-owned Bright Horizons runs around 1,000 facilities worldwide with fees for its nurseries in the UK typically around £300 a week.
A Bright Horizons spokesman said: “It is every parent’s personal choice about when, where and from whom to seek guidance. For those who are seeking ideas for empowering their daughters to grow into strong, confident leaders, free from potentially harmful gender stereotypes, we offer advice that encourages a focus on a girl’s attributes other than her physical appearance.”
Former Tory Education Minister Sir John Hayes told the Daily Mail: “This daft advice from Bright Horizons will darken the horizons of little girls who cannot be called pretty or dress up as princesses, and simply enjoy their childhood the way girls have for generations.
“We’ve got to let children be children and treasure their innocence and stop preaching to them.”
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