So, I changed my mind….you can’t have a “Man Cave”

The family and I are in the process of buying a home. That being said, we all have a number of amenities we would like to have, a big yard for the pups, a pool for the summer, a big kitchen and more. But, there is one thing that my husband and my son have really been gunning for – a “Man Cave.”

Initially, I didn’t have any issues with them referring to a game room as a “Man Cave,” but then I began to think about it, and when I talked to my son about it, I began to feel it was an issue, simply by the way he was describing it.

For starters, what will be in the said “Man Cave?” Well, it will be a sports-themed room, mostly baseball and football memorabilia. We also wanted to put the pool table in there and some other gaming tables. My son keeps saying we will fill with all the things “guys like.” I think that’s what got me. I’m a woman, but I love baseball, in fact I understand the game better than some men I know. I’m not a huge fan of football, but I am well aware of how that works, too. And pool, well I don’t want to brag too much, but I can hold my own.

So, after considering all of these things, I realized by allowing the game room to be called a “Man Cave” I am actually teaching my son that these areas of entertainment are for men only. That is not acceptable, so we will now refer to it as the game room.

This was a great lesson for both my son and I. I learned something in regards to the possible long-term negative ideals that could be reinforced by subtle, yet derogatory terms. In addition, I got to explain my decision to my kiddo, which helped to broaden his perspectives on sports and women’s roles in them.

So, maybe my kiddo will never make it on “The official Man Cave” site (yes, this is real: http://mancavesite.org/) to display his sporting sanctuary, now that we are going to call it a game room, but I feel he will survive this set back. And, in the long run he will be getting something much more valuable out of it - a respect for women and their contributions to the world of sports.