There are many issues that parents have with Peppa Pig! From the spelling of her name to the sheer over exposure of the brand, but my gripe with “The Pig” goes much deeper than that.
As a new father I am trying to impact my son’s life in the most positive way possible. From the foods that he is eating to the quality time we spend with each other every day, my every move is a conscious decision to try and enhance our time together. In my family’s case, I have returned to work whilst mummy is at home, and so I want to make sure that the time I do get with my son is well spent.
Let me introduce you to “My Mummy” a book created by the Peppa Pig brand. It is a sweet tale of how important a mummy is and how she struggles to break the stereotypes imposed on her.
In stark comparison, in the case of Peppa’s “My Daddy” book, he’s a lazy fellow who is clumsy and only good for being buried in the sand. The moral of this story is that whilst dad’s intentions may be good, he’s actually a bit rubbish!
I’m sure many would accuse me of being “over-sensitive”, this is after all a fictional pig and a book intended for the ears of young children! But what really grinds my gears is that this book is telling a story that would not be accepted if it were written about a mummy pig, in fact people would be up in arms.
Do we have to teach our children that Daddy’s are inept but we should love them anyway? Could we not even up the playing field and ensure that our little ones have two parents who are doing their very best and giving it their all?
I don’t want my son to learn about this swine of a father (pun intended). I want him to learn about a dad that rushes home from work every day to be with him, who does the washing up and the ironing as part of his chores, a dad who knows how to actively parent even when he’s knackered. In short I want my son to think of me in the same light as his mother, whose load is just as heavy, all encompassing, and tiring.
Daddy pig may love his car, but how can you compare that to the love of a child? This oversimplification is plainly patronising. I could own a Ferrari but it wouldn’t come close to the love of my child, and I am sure this is the same for all dads and mums alike.
Let’s not accept stereotyping of parents of either sex. Let’s teach our children love, kindness and equality instead of this blatant dad shaming which is somehow deemed as acceptable in society.
So whilst this little piggy went to market and this little piggy had roast beef, that little piggy… (I mean you Peppa) could do with a decent rewrite.
TIB
ThatIsBeyond 