@ashleyjames: I'm sick of girls being told that the most important thing about them is being pretty. Of course, Ada is beautiful, but beauty is the least interesting thing about her. When I look at her, I see a little girl who loves herself. She takes up space, she speaks her mind, she looks at herself with wonder, and she knows how to say no. She doesn't worry whether she's too loud, too much, too bossy or too opinionated. She simply exists in the world exactly as she is. And I hope that continues. I hope she never learns to shrink herself, physically or mentally. I hope the world doesn't chip away at her confidence, because we need more strong, confident women - especially when we know the world we're growing girls into. I hope she never learns that being liked is more important than being herself. I hope she never feels pressure to make herself smaller, quieter, easier or more palatable for other people. I hope she never confuses kindness with compliance, or mistakes self-sacrifice for virtue. I don't want her to be a "good girl". I want her to be kind, brave, curious, compassionate, determined, and completely herself. I want her to fight for what's right, to ask difficult questions, and to know that her voice matters. So much of my book, Bimbo, is about the labels used to keep women in line: bossy, difficult, dramatic, attention-seeking, hysterical, too much. Words designed to teach us that there is a penalty for taking up space. I hope she never believes them. Because girls aren't born doubting themselves. They aren't born feeling not enough. They aren't born believing their value lies in being beautiful, desirable or chosen. They learn it. The world will spend enough time telling her who she should be. My job is to remind her who she already is.

Ashley James

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Region: GB

Sunday 19 July 2026 08:00:00 GMT