Issue 5: Letter from the Editors

From Kirstie

Sonshine Magazine is 1! We’ve had a really brilliant year, putting together the last four issues. But birthdays are often a time of reflection, and we have been reflecting like mad. Reflecting on why we need Sonshine, on the challenges we’ve encountered raising our children and on the changes we’d like to see for them and for us.

It’s no accident that we’re launching this issue in the week of International Women’s Day – we’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what place Sonshine occupies in the world of feminism, #MeToo and the continuing struggle for equality. The challenges facing women are consistently underplayed and undermined, and backlashes to any shifts in current norms can be both violent and vicious, especially on social media. The response to the recent Gillette advert from many alt-right-aligned people is eye-opening for those of us who mainly hang out in our own little equality echo chambers.

So for this issue, we’ve tackled some of these questions head on. I’ve explored why bringing boys into these conversation s (while not centring their experiences) is important for us all, and also taken a look at why I have a problem with our focus on the word consent. We’ve also been lucky enough to have a brilliant collection of contributors sharing their thoughts on challenges and also some tips for making changes to our everyday lives. Abigail Youngman has got a group of 10-year-olds together to discuss their thoughts on Girl Power slogans and how you explain power structures with primary-aged kids, while Amanda Maister reminds us all just how hard it is to stand up for your feminist beliefs when you don’t have allies. I’ve particularly enjoyed Alex Mees’ thoughts on modelling equal parenting and found Charlotte Levene’s tips for building relationships with our kids really striking and helpful.

There are also book reviews of gender-segregated books, picture books that celebrate quiet children, and five brilliant role models that we’d like our kids to know about and aspire to be like. And for those of you with sports-mad offspring, we’ve got a very entertaining conversation with football fans Charlie Talbot, Samuel West and Laura Wade about what supporting a (not-terribly-successful) football team has meant for them and for their children.

So it’s a bumper issue! We really hope you enjoy this one – and we look forward to hearing all your thoughts and responses.

One other change this issue is that you’ll need a Members’ Password to read it all. A year in, we’re changing our model a little bit, so we can continue for another year, and expand into some other areas too. The magazine is still free, and it’s still ad-free. And all you need to do is sign up to our email list to become a Sonshine Member. (We’ll never use this list for anything except sending you your password for issues, keeping you up to date on our events and ventures and letting you know about Membership perks.)

Tell us what you think of Issue 5 and also we’d love to know what you’d like us to look into for the next issue – it’ll be all about Screen Time (plenty to discuss there).