Husbeast and I were talking about stereotypes tonight. Here are some of our thoughts.
Stereotypes are around for a reason and they don’t have to be bad.
Boys are, in general, rough. When my boys meet their friends, they run at them full bore and fall into a heap on the ground to wrestle. They like building things, they like cars and construction vehicles. They will turn anything into a sword or a gun. They seek to protect.
Girls, in general, are more nurturing so they do tend to go to dolls for play and they are, in general, more gentle. When they see each other, they are more apt to hug than wrestle. They giggle, a lot. I don’t have girls but I was one. I remember this.
When a group of kids get together, the girls tend to play with girls and the boys stick with boys, in general.
That doesn’t mean that every boy is rough and tough, nor does it mean every girl likes to wear tutus and play with dolls. It’s all good. Boys can learn to knit and play with dolls and girls can dig in the mud and kick butt in taekwondo.
There are actual differences in the brains of boys and girls. We are different and that is just fine.
Stereotypes are based on truths. They are only bad when we base our expectation on those stereotypes.
Love your kids for who they are.