Gender Roles

In class, we basically discussed how we all grew up surrounded by gender roles and that some families try to keep their kids away from gender roles by not telling them what sex they are. And to me that doesn’t make any sense. That is pretty much lying to your child about who they are. Some parents think that by not telling their child whether they are a boy or girl will allow them to be whoever they want to be. I don’t think keeping their sex from them is going to help at all. In my house the only children are me and my sister which would make you think that we didn’t grow up with a lot of toy trucks or “boy” toys, but we did. I remember playing with Barbie dolls one minute and then with motorcycles the next. We were both told we were girls and did the same things, yet we turned out complete opposite. I am very “girly” and my sister is one of the least “girly” girls I know.

          I don’t think children’s toys should not be looked at as boy or girl toys. When you think about how almost all jobs now have become “unisex”, there shouldn’t be a difference with toys. Some little boy might want an Easy Bake oven, even though, society sees that as a toy for a little girl. But guess what, he could be the next Iron Chef someday.

          Sports is a big issue when it comes to gender. They say girls can’t play football or can’t wrestle. To our society those are not “girl” sports. But I don’t see why they couldn’t be if a girl wanted to do one of them. It doesn’t really make sense to me that there is a guy’s team for pretty much any sport, but then there are certain sports where there are only teams for guys.

          I don’t see the need for all the separation of gender roles or for keeping the sex of your child away from them. Like, someday they are going to know the difference between a boy and girl. Why keep it from them? Just let your kid decide what they want to do. Let them be who they want to be because they are going to do it anyway.

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