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I hate gender stereotyping

MatildasunMatildasun member
in Maryland Babies

We go to music class on Monday mornings. Ada loves it, but she rarely stays with me, wanders about, and plays with the other kids in an appropriate toddler way. Everyone else does the same, except for the two nonwalkers (both just happen to be girls) in the class. Today some one said "there should be a boys only class because they are so rough and tumble".

What? They are all rough and tumble, it is how toddlers interact. The two toddler girls are always in the fray with the boys. I don't understand how anyone could even say that if they were watching the behavior in class. Blah.

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Re: I hate gender stereotyping

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    Kaybee44Kaybee44

    Really? That's hilarious. Some of the roughest toddlers I have known were girls :) My own petite 19 pound daughter included.

    Just because someone is wearing a dress or girly colors does not mean they are delicate. Cecilia has eaten bugs. I see surprise on people's faces when I tell them that and I know they're thinking that Brendon would be more the type to be interested in bugs. He's afraid of them :)

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    Cooper81Cooper81 member
    Yea...my mom will make a comment when John throws a truck-probably just to hear the noise or see how far it will go-like "I  had girls, I'm so not used to this."  I'm like really, REALLY?  I don't remember being a toddler, but from what I remember when we were little and playing outside we pretended to be Ninjas and would LOVE getting muddy, things generally considered "boyish."  My sister and I also kept my mom in the ER contstantly, broken arms, legs, concussions, I had a needle break off in my foot and didn't realize it until 2 months later, etc so we seriously couldn't have been these prim and proper little girls. 
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    KathrynMDKathrynMD member

    yeah I agree.

    I do think its funny to see how much of gender identify is shaped by what is happening RIGHT now.  Ella is constantly telling me/us what things boys do and what things girls do.  She put on a necklace the other day and then just said "this is for girls, boys don't wear necklaces" and she talks about how everybody pees, even at the playground, she'll do something really reckless and then go "girls do this, boys don't do this"  she's working so hard to categorize everything in the world and figure out where she fits, etc. that I really don't need to make it even more narrow by telling her she can only do this or that.

    And, I try really hard to avoid commenting on her appearance and to focus on her actions instead.

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    mrs. remymrs. remy
    Well I would disagree with her comment....that was kind of a stupid thing to say. But just to play the devils advocate, I can maybe see where she was coming from. Just from watching kids of my friends/family members and talking to other parents I think there are distinctive innate differences between how boys and girls play. And I am talking when they are very young....before they understand what their 'roles' should be. And before anyone argues with me, yes, there are always exceptions to the rule.
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    daisyterpdaisyterp member
    It's funny- SO many people have said stuff like this to me about DS vs. DD. I have friends who swear by books about raising boys, etc. 
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    FieryIrishAngelFieryIrishAngel

    imagemrs. remy:
    Well I would disagree with her comment....that was kind of a stupid thing to say. But just to play the devils advocate, I can maybe see where she was coming from. Just from watching kids of my friends/family members and talking to other parents I think there are distinctive innate differences between how boys and girls play. And I am talking when they are very young....before they understand what their 'roles' should be. And before anyone argues with me, yes, there are always exceptions to the rule.

    I agree with Carrie on this one.

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    MatildasunMatildasun member

    imageKathrynMD:
      she's working so hard to categorize everything in the world and figure out where she fits, etc. that I really don't need to make it even more narrow by telling her she can only do this or that.

    I really like that way you put this. 

    Maybe there are innate differences, but why do adults feel the need to attribute every personality or behavior to these differences? I just find it really annoying when children are together, playing the exact same way and the conversation turns to how busy, difficult, or rough and tumble the boys are. It happens all the time during play group (my neighborhood one). 

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