It's always bothered me how so many people in this fandom hate on characters like Ferncloud and Daisy, or any queen who continues to help out in the nursery without being warriors, on account of them being "useless."

I mean, have you ever met kids? It's not like they just sleep all day. Kits get into all kinds of shit. Who stops them from going into the warrior's den all the time? Who invents fun games for them to play when being confined to a small area is tough? Who comforts them when they're upset? Who teaches them right from wrong? Who takes care of first-time queens, who helps the queens when they're exhausted, who steps in when a queen cannot produce milk? Just because camp-queens aren't out hunting every day or patrolling doesn't mean they're not a valued member of the Clan, or contributing to society. Isn't that the underlying values of the Clan - to take care of all Clan members, even when they can't care for the Clan back?

Maybe I'm looking too much into this, but it's quite disturbing to me how this parallels our own views on hunter-gatherer societies, and misogyny. As kids, we view men, going out and hunting every day as much more badass, much cooler, and much more helpful than the women who stay behind and collect nuts and fruits, etc, a belief that is supported by subtle misogyny that our current society perpetuates. Studies show that because hunting was an unreliable source of food, as it brought infrequent catches, gathering is what was truly necessary and often held society together just as much or even more so then hunting. I'm not going to go on and on about gender roles, gender inequalities and perception in hunter/gatherer societies, it's easy enough to Google. The point is, hunters, the men, are usually glorified and credited for all the achievements, while gatherers, the women, are discarded and seen as useless.

Sound familiar? Maybe camp-queens are seen as useless because most people are taught to believe that typically masculine roles are the better option, that feminine-associated jobs are weak and unnecessary.
Maybe this is a completely unnecessary comparison, and just me trying to "make everything feminism."
But hey. Just food for thought.

Shorter rant, sorry!!