My Life As a Dork or Being a 'Geek Girl'

I'll start this off by saying I've always considered myself more of a 'dork' than a 'geek' i dunno, I like the word better. I'm a bit of a social outcast, and I'm fine with that. Some link from Kristen_Amanda on Twitter about raising a 'geek girl' made me call into question me, since I'm outside of normal, and happy that way. So, the original 'offender' 5 Tips on Raising Your Geek Girl from Wired and as far as I'm concerned, 4 Tips on Understanding Girl Geeks from Jezebel.

I disagree to a point iwth both of these articles, and I'm going to go over myself for this following their 'issues' or topic headlines.

From Wired:
The Book Factor
'I read science fiction and fantasy and not Babysitters Club. Hell, I read'
Suggested Help :Try to get involved in your daughter’s reading, if you’re not already. I was born to non-geeks, so my parents really had no interest in what I was reading. If you can’t be involved, look into reading clubs–or start one–that support the genres your daughter is into. Look to libraries and gaming stores if there’s nothing available at school. And above all, even if you don’t get the stuff she reads, reiterate that reading is awesome.

My response:
I concur, encourage you kid to read whatever they choose to read. In early elementary school I was more interested in reading than playing, so I was a social outcast to begin with. This person didn't read 'girly' things but 'boy/dorky things' and that set her apart. That sentiment is stupid. I was set apart by reading things more complex than the people my age. You're raising a reader, not necessarily a geek, get them books, as many as they can handle, challenge their level. They can understand The Great Gatsby at 11, get them something just as complex, the Alchemist or something. Challenge them don't just meet them on their literary terms. Don't just challenge their level in thier preferred genre, introduce them to something new. You don't know books, find someone who does, but someone who will challenge their level.

The Pop Culture Factor
"I didn't watch the right shows'
Suggested Help: If you are a geek, yourself, it’s fine for you to reach out. I mean, it is your fault she’s the way she is, right? But don’t be too pressing, because even if your geeklet gal speaks Klingon fluently, she needs to find her own brand of geek. If she’s into medieval stuff, consider the SCA. If she’s got a sci-fi lean, consider taking her to a convention. Maybe she’s a budding film-maker? Enroll her in film classes. Not to mention, there’s always the Internet. For me, that was my saving grace, discovering like-minded people, even if they were far away. And if teasing is a problem, help to equip her with witty ripostes and bolster her self esteem with praise.

My response
Fuck all that. I loved television. It's not that hard to find someone to chat up about TV, and chances are the lines aren't as defined as the original article made it seem. And for pop culture, there's the internet now. Pop culture when I was a kid was Saturday morning cartoons and after school television. Current sports and movies. Encourage the kid to try some sport, but let them take in what's modern. Every kid saw Jurassic Park when I was a kid, that's what they'll be talking about.

The Boy Factor
"All my friends were boys'
Suggested Help: Start with family. I had some great gal cousins growing up, and though they weren’t exactly geeks, our friendships were strong. If you’re daughter doesn’t have gal friends as school, you can encourage her to meet people at your church or other extended network. Also, teach her about all the wonderful girl geeks in history, like Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie and Felicia Day. Go fictional, too. There are plenty of geek gals in literature and movies, like Agatha Clay, Meg Murry and Kaylee Frye. Help make her proud to be a girl geek!

My response:
It's not that hard. I understand not wanting to date a friend, but really. It's not that hard to make female friends, look for the other girls around who have their noses in books. Talk to them, or just deal. Female friendships arne't that important until maybe high school. Is it me, or is it really that easy to find simple solutions to the 'issues' on this list? Life isn't that hard. The hell is with people these days needing an instruction manual to raise a kid that isn't stereotypically girly, or masculine.

The Smart Factor
"I was too smart in school"
Suggested Help: You know you’re on shaky ground when your girl geek starts to be embarrassed of being smart. If grades and enthusiasm are waning, it’s time for parental intervention. But not too much. And not too little. Really, you know your daughter best, and it’s important to talk about what’s going on at school. While the “grades will help you in college” argument won’t always work, home incentives–like movies or gadgets–might. And nothing replaces flat-out support. If you sucked at a subject in school it might worth dragging out your report card to share, and let her know you wish you had worked harder. Either way, just continuing support and praise of her performance will help steer her in the right direction.

My Response:
If your kid is too smart for their grade or school system find something that is better accommodating for their intelligence. I was smart, I got good enough grades, I was challenged in class. Get them into Advance Placement or International Baccalaureate programs, the Honors classes. Don't just encourage them, challenge them. Put them with intellectual peers, hell, it'll be easier to make friends with people you can have an intelligent conversation with, there's also a possibility that they'll have more similar interests. My IB classes were full of science dorks, sci-fi, fantasy, comics, we were dorks and proud of it.

The Self-Image Factor
Oh noes, I hated myself. I was alone and a geek
Suggested Help: Encourage your geek gal to get involved, even if the interests aren’t up her alley. You never know: she might love homecoming. She might take to soccer, or softball. I enjoyed being on the Yearbook committee when I was in high school, which had a great cross-section of folks, geek and non-geek. Geek doesn’t mean you have to shun what everyone else does; it just means that you have your own slant on it. And it also means you’re smart enough to think outside the social box. If anything, being a geek means the rules don’t apply!

My response: This loops back to the book part. Get them somewhere with like minded people. It's not that hard. And hell, most everyone's depressed in middle school. Get them to express it, hell, they know themselves better than you do, that's for fucking sure.

Jezebel

There is no one Girl Geek.
Not all geeks are created the same

Me: I agree with this.

You know what, fuck it. I'm tired of typing, stoned, and my tea might be getting too frozen in the freezer. It's not that much more difficult to raise a geek or dorky kid than any other type, encourage their interests. Get them into science, art, whatever programs. Just like there's little league, there's programs that will foster your kid's intelligence. Why do people try to make life harder than it already it. Hell, it's normally an uphill battle to get started, so why pressure a kid. Tell them to be proud of themselves and to say 'fuck off' to people who try to make light of them or diminish what they can accomplish. As long as they're cool with what they like, the rest of the world can go to hell. That was my mentality. I hated people my own age, now, I'm more accepting of them, and I accept that I love comics, movies and am a general dork. Rock the dorkism! It takes a jackass to rule the school, it takes a brain to rule the nation, or the company. If not a brain, then to be surrounded by brains, but therein you're a puppet.

Jasmine P.