We are in the process of raising an ultra-feminine girly-girl and a rough-and-tumble he-boy. Trinity insists on wearing "pretty dresses" every day, the pinker and lacier, the better. "But honey, we're going hiking today." "I won't get it dirty. I promise." Connor, on the other hand, is all about cars, trains and finding hilarity in passing gas. The only place we see the gender roles reversed in them is that Trinity is the adventuresome, rocking-jumping, tree-climbing, hacking-her-way-through-the-forest kid, while Connor prefers to ride in the luxury of a bigger person's arms. "The pokies will get me!".This week I was reminded that we are not totally indoctrinating our prodigies with gender stereotyping. The day I forgot our diaper bag, my friend offered her girls' pull-ups for Connor, the pink Dora ones, to be precise. We quickly responded, "No problem. He won't care. He likes Dora." Allan added, "He's comfortable with his sexuality," to which my friend responded, "I've noticed that." Hmm...what did she mean by that? Oh- we realized she must be referring to the way he carries around a pink blanket and has had a pink pacifier and sometimes enjoys a good session of playing house with his sister.
Today Trinity and I were exploring the many faces and personalities of Mr. Potatohead. It was time to make him a girl. "Uh-oh, Trin, there's no girly arms." "We can use the muscle arms, mom. She can be a strong girl! She can be a strong, firefighter girl!" You, go girl!
2 comments:
huh - something is wrong at my house. when the smallest person at my house says "the pokies will get me," it's in reference to the fact that i've not shaved my legs in a while.
maybe i should take her to the woods so she'll know what real pokies are.
Good story Kristi--Eldredge wouldn't be proud but we are!
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