Boys will be boys, but girls must behave like young ladies. As a young woman, this is something I've heard before, and not just towards me but to other young girls as well. The idea of double standards is not a new concept, I'm sure everyone has heard it at least once before. Whether you believe it or not, it exists. As girls, we experience life so much different than boys do. It's real and it happens every day. Here are a few examples of some double standards that are very common for women to experience.

1. Marriage

Growing up, girls are always told about the joys of marriage. It's something we're taught to aspire to do. Getting married is supposed to be one of the happiest days of a young girl's life. As for boys, it doesn't matter if they get married. They can be eligible bachelors for as long as they want, and they're never looked at any differently for it. The older a woman gets the more she gets asked, "so when are you going to get married?" I'm barely about to be in my 20's and my family still asks me! If it is supposed to be one of the greatest joys for a girl to get married then it should be the same for men. On the other hand, when it comes time to plan the wedding it is seen as the "bride's big day." What about the groom? Is he not getting married as well? Has he not found the woman of his dreams? But the bride gets swarmed over. She's seen as the star, she gets special treatment and practically plans the wedding herself. If we're going to treat weddings as such a big moment in life it should be equal for both parties involved. It's something very special for both.

2. Children

Just as marriage is seen as one of the greatest joys in life for women, becoming a mother is held in the same high regards. As a woman, you're supposed to get married and have children. I love kids as much as the next person, they're adorable and it is a great honor and joy to be a mother. But what about the women and girls who don't want children? That shouldn't be something that is frowned upon. Parenthood is a choice, and like men, women should be allowed to say they don't want any children. Men can be single and never want kids and that is seen as totally acceptable, but let a woman say she doesn't want kids and people flip out. "Being a mother is great!" "Don't you want grandkids someday?" "Why don't you want children?" Women should be allowed to decide not to have kids. It's as simple as that. But why aren't men told from a young age they should grow up and become a father? Boys are told to have jobs and provide for women but not grow up and be a dad. We either make this a great goal that all people aspire to or disregard it and let people make their own decisions.

3. Single Parents

Why does it always seem that single mothers get the raw end of the deal? If people see a single father he's brave and so strong for raising a child on his own, but single mothers aren't the same. They're told their children need a man in their lives, especially if they have sons. For some reason, it's a disgrace to be a single mom in this society, but more power to the single dads! Being a single parent, mom or dad, it's hard. Hell, being a parent is hard period. We've all seen how our parents struggle to take care of us so we should cut all parents some slack. Single mothers, single fathers, and two-parent families alike.

It is 2018, we need to stop these double standards and all the others I didn't get a chance to mention. It's about time we start treating all people equally. It seems like common sense to me that everyone be treated equally. Let's all work together to eliminate double standards and live more equal lives.