2009-07

Hormones have long been a convenient scapegoat for treating women as second-class citizens.

I remember as a teenager hearing small children use terms like wee-wee and pee-pee to describe their genitals. I would roll my eyes and think, “That’s ridiculous. My kids are going to use the correct words for their anatomy.”

Over the years I never wavered in my conviction. And when my daughter was born one month and one day after my son’s first birthday, I stood firm. As my babies grew into curious toddlers, I began to implement my policy of using the terms “penis” and “vagina” instead of cutesy euphemisms.

Let’s face it: We live in Texas, where triple-digit temperatures rule the summer day. Come summer, we want to scurry into our air-conditioned caves and hibernate until October rolls around.