Kids and Gender Roles

I was watching "The Chew" this afternoon and they mentioned something they saw online about a father being berated for teaching his son to cook.  Of course, they all thought it was very wrong; which it is.  The father should definitely be teaching his son to cook!  Women always like a man who can cook.
Gender roles are something I hear a lot about living in the south.  Oddly enough I hear it more from kids than I do parents.  I will occasionally hear a child say "I'm not doing that, that's a boy's chore." or "I don't have to clean because I'm a boy."  I don't know where they get it from, but it's a problem that we face head on in our house. 

The only one I have to worry about right now is Hailey and I have (luckily) not had this problem with her yet.  Although I'm sure it will come.  Just like I'm sure it will come with Letty and the new baby when they are older. 
Both of my daughters play with cars and tractors all the time.  They also play with dolls and stuffed animals.  There is no reason a girl can't play with "boy" toys.  Just like there isn't a reason a boy can't play with "girl" toys.  My husband and I have always let our kids pick out what they want to play with.  One of the first toys Letty ever picked out at the store was a blue and green toy car.  She loved it.  Our nephew, when he was little, loved to play with beaded necklaces and shoes.  He would run around his Nanny's house with her flip flops and necklaces and just play.  He is now 8 years old, plays football and is a typical boy.  There was no reason for us to take them away from him.  They made him happy and that's all that matters.

Before Hailey was born, my husband and I talked about gender roles.  I was nervous, thinking that he would want the girls to have their toys and their chores in the house and the boys to have their toys and their chores outside.  Boy was I wrong!  He was very adamant about them having the option to choose the toys they want to play with along with them learning to do chores outside and inside.  I don't have any sons yet, but my daughters go outside and help out just as they help in the house.  Hailey loves to help cook and she loves going outside and raking leaves. 
Boys and girls should both learn what it takes to cook, clean, and take care of a house.  We definitely don't subscribe to gender roles in this house.  This is something I feel very passionate about (if you couldn't tell).  What do you think of gender roles?

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