Little man. We often hear this affectionate term used for male toddlers and very young boys and along with this moniker is an adorable vision of the boy in a suit with a tiny brief case headed out to work to provide for and protect the family. 

“You’re the man of the house today”. Or man of the house now, if the adult male is no longer present. 

Never once in my youth did I hear, “you’re the woman of the house today”, even if I was left in-charge of my younger sibling and tasked with cleaning or cooking or some other adult housekeeping chore. 

Right from the start, we begin to condition males to believe that they are the only viable in- charge person in a place where any females are present. The message is clear,  you are the final word because you are a male. 

It also brings to our attention that in placing the “woman” title on a very young female, we are dancing close to suggesting that the female is of “breeding” age and ripe for the picking by any male, any age; including  presidents who felt entitled to shop for sex on islands owned by equally shady friends. 

Since the same charming/adorable vision doesn’t happen when the term Little Woman is used, the phrase becomes an insult to females that is intended to place males in a power position. 

The next time we hear an adult refer to a male toddler or young boy as “ little man”, how about pointing out the disparity of that language and that we should always be aware of how we address children.

It’s a small thing to be conscious of. A little moment. But it’s also the opening salvo of a lifetime of patriarchal dominance and abuse that could be smothered out now. Long before another generation of males reach puberty with the horribly wrong notion that females are on this planet to be little more than maids, cooks, baby incubators and sperm toilets. 

We can  fix this. We just have to want to.