I know it is said in a loving way, but I don’t quite like it. In fact, I’m not even starting to like it. I am referring to those parents who call their daughters “chochete” and their sons “pichilla” , or some variant that comes to say the same.
Last year I said goodbye to Aran at the school door and the father of a girl in his class, a 3-year-old girl, said to him as he was leaving, turning around, and in front of other parents and the teacher “See you later, little pussy! ! “. Nobody said anything, obviously, but honestly, I felt a little bad for the girl, for being lovingly reduced to that, to being a pussy.
A matter of integrity and respect
If I saw a couple on the street calling each other shouting “Chocho, come, look at this!” or “Cock (or cock, even worse), come!”, sure that everyone around would feel uncomfortable. If I called my wife like that in public, I’m sure she’d say anything but pretty, and if I called her in private … well, it depends on the moment, of course, but it doesn’t come out in intimate moments either because I don’t think I appreciate it. To reduce a person to their genitals , Miriam is much more than that.
It is a matter of integrity, of valuing children for something more than their vulva or penis, of calling them by their name, which is why we put it on them, or by a kinder substitute such as love, heart or life, that can be used a lifetime without suddenly being offensive.
Even when?
Because, how long is it done? At what age does it stop making sense to call them that? It may seem more or less normal to me, or better let’s say that I can understand it because it is habitual, that a 3-year-old girl is called a pussy or a pussy, but when she is 10, 14 or 17 years old, for example, what would we think of her father if I called her the same way? “Goodbye chochete!”. I don’t think the girl herself was amused .
So I don’t know why we do it, why boys are pussies and girls pussies. Men are much more than our penis, women are much more than their vulva and when it comes down to that we ask for more respect , or are we not criticizing the absurdity of advertisements with women making vicious faces with ridiculous poses? Because if they were still advertising something related to sex, it could be understood that they were used as sexual objects, but when they are sitting on the hood of a car or defending a brand of clothing or a drink, then the relationship is not seen.
That is why I believe that we should treat our children in a more respectful way, so that they feel valued for who they are and not for what they have between their legs , valued for what they do, for what we love them, for how happy we are. with them, … and for being our “affections”, our “lives”, our “hearts”, or for simply being Laura, María, Miguel, Juan, Paula, Laura, Ángel, David, Claudia, Marcos, .. .
UPDATE : Thanks to the comments I have learned that adults are also called that way and that it is not something that is done only with children. This is for me a sign that it is something more harmless than I thought, that it is done especially in the south of Spain. I still don’t like it, but my tolerance for it is now higher. Thank you all for your comments, because that way we are all enriched.
Photo | Dj Flickr on Flickr In Babies and more | Educate with respect (I) and (II), Do you talk about your children in their presence? Are you the spokesperson for your children?,
