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Good role model for young girls

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8 Reasons Why Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is a Good Role Model For Young Girls

As parents, we want our children to have the best role models. Obviously, we tend to start with ourselves, by setting up an example of what we expect from them.

Unfortunately, when it comes to young children, girls especially, it can be incredibly frustrating trying to find good role models, or the right ones, in fiction characters. While most characters are as flawed as real people are, some are downright sad, scary, and pathetic.

In books

Take, for example, most princesses featured in fairy tales. There is Cinderella, Aurora from the Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and many more. They seem completely helpless, and incapable of taking their own lives, and safety in their own hands. They all have different stories, but share one thing: they all need to be saved by their prince.

Of course, there are also very good ones, like Merida, from Brave, who rebels against her family’s expectations, and decides instead to be her own person, without a man to guide her.

Sadly, although her character is part of a newer trend,the vast majority of heroine in fairy tale stories remains the same: helpless.

In movies

Finding good role models in movies is just as challenging as it is in books. Why, even some of those funny romantic comedies some of us love, share the same message: us girls need a prince to sweep us off our feet, and make our lives complete, no matter how successful we are in other areas of life.

Some of it can be quite funny. But some is downright lame, insulting, and unpredicatable.

Cue in Katniss Everdeen, from The Hunger Games

My family shares an intense love for series, YA literature, and action packed books, and movies. And while our older kids are already adults (19, and 18), we still have an 8 yr old girl. But that doesn’t mean we can’t include her, or share many of those things with her.

Ms Emma is not only allowed to watch most movies with us, but she is encouraged to do so, especially when there is something she can learn from it. And she enjoys it so much, that she even chose to be Katniss Everdeen for “Dress as your favorite book character day” at school just last week!

8 Reasons Why Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is a Good Role Model For Young Girls

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While The Hunger Games movies (and books) are not exactly age appropriate for younger audiences, with the right supervision, and parental guidance, we could make sure our girls (and boys) absorb, and learn the best from Katniss Everdeen.

Keep on scrolling and reading to see what makes Katniss Everdeen such great role model for your girls

8 Reasons Why Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is a Good Role Model For Young Girls

Even though Katniss Everdeen is far from perfect, she has many character traits that us as parents should encourage our daughters (and sons) to have. Here are some of them, the ones that I feel are most important:

Brave

She obviously gets scared, but she is brave as heck. Katniss has had to face so much in her short life, and has fought really hard to make it thru, even when it seems like fear will win out. Is not fearlessness that defines her, but the fact that she doesn’t let fear stop her from doing the right thing.

Kind

Although Katniss can seem pretty heartless, and cold to some, in reality she is the kindest, and most caring person ever. The love, and protection she gives her little sister is something fierce. And the weak ones, or the disadvantaged ones are fiercely protected by her, no matter what.

Strong

Katniss has suffered so much! She lost her father at a young age, her mother sank into a deep hole of depression because of it, and as a result, both her, and her little sister Primrose almost died of starvation.

Still, Katniss pushed thru, and summoned all the strength she was capable of, and survived. And she uses that inner strength later on, to be of help to others.

Resourceful

If you have seen The Hunger Games movies, or better yet, read the books, you will know that the poverty level of the people in the districts is unbelievable.

The living conditions are so bad in many districts, that there is a part on book one, where Katniss mules over the fact that the people from the Capitol do anything they can to remain young. As she describes it, for the people in the districts, getting older, or reaching old age is a reason for celebration. That is because so many of them die because of lack of proper care, and nourishment.

But Katniss’ family is a little different, though. A few months after her father’s passing, she finds a way to feed not only herself, but her mother, and little sister as well. This then turns into a way of life. She has so little, but finds so many ways to have enough, and make do with her resources to, at least, survive.

Observant

Very little gets by Katniss Everdeen. While she is a girl of few words, she is quick to notice the good, and bad in others. Katniss is not easily fooled. Not even by the “well meaning” Alma Coin, who certainly manages to fool many others on her quest for power.

She also has the ability to see the best in others, even those who are nothing like herself. That quality is what allows her to notice that, even though the Capitol residents are somehow to blame for The Hunger Games, there is still some good in them. Even if been empathetic isn’t one of their qualities.

Decisive

Let me get this out of the way. Katniss Everdeen IS a teenager. Therefore, she goes thru all the conflicting situations, and emotions that all teenagers do. But while she might seem indecisive in regards to the guy she loves, she deals with the most important aspects of her life differently.

I believe this is the result of years of taking on the role of head of house, and provider for her family. And of course, extreme hardships, and life situations can help you become better at decision making. Nothing like misery to get our butts in gear, right?

Honest

Sometimes, brutally so. But while she could come across as cold, or harsh, in reality she is just very open. This, even when being open means owning her own mistakes, and taking responsibility for her flawed actions. Katniss is one of those characters whose words, and actions tend to be in sync most of the time.

Self sufficient

Now, that doesn’t mean she never needs anyone. We all need someone for love, encouragement, guidance, and support thru life situations.

However, she learned from an early age that there are moments when she only had herself to lean on.

While her issues can seem too far fetched for us, we must all understand that sometimes, we just have to push thru, and do what we can. Because as much as parents, and other loved ones would love to be there for us, there will come a time when there is no one to help us.

8 Reasons Why Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is a Good Role Model For Young Girls

I understand if some feel like Katniss isn’t the greatest role model. Or that The Hunger Games books, and movies are not appropriate for young kids. Both the books, and the movies have some strong content, and should always be watched with parental supervision.

However, I feel like Katniss embodies a ton of great character traits. And we mustn’t forget that our little ones won’t be little forever, and we are/should be forming them with a clear end result: to become the best human beings they can be.

  • Brave
  • Kind
  • Strong
  • Resourceful
  • Observant
  • Decisive
  • Honest
  • Self sufficient

Have you read The Hunger Games books? Watched the movies? What do you think about Katniss as a role model? Please, share with us in the comments. Inquiring minds want to know!

8 Reasons Why Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games is a Good Role Model For Young Girls

Why Katniss Everdeen is a good role model for young girls
Why Katniss Everdeen is a good role model for young girls
Good role model for young girls

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