Cheerleading

Iyende decided she wants to be a cheerleader. I don't know how I feel about it, exactly. I put her off for awhile when she asked permission. I don't want her to be a cheerleader! It's like all my work to ensure that she has a strong, feminist, healthy self-esteem is gone right out the window. If she were a little older, I wouldn't be so hesitant...but eighth grade? the tryouts are for the next school year.

Why does she want to do this anyway, it seems so boring. Maybe she won't get picked, then I won't have to worry about this 'till next year. She told me all this stuff about how cheerleading is a Real Sport with Real Training and you need Real Skills to do it. Whatever. It might be all that but I can't tell. All I see is the same old same old - girls cheering on the boys, girls on the sidelines again.