Monday, March 03, 2008

Monday, March 03, 2008

Not trying to knock the boys... Current mood: energetic as I love them. It is deeply interesting to me to watch my son AND daughter unfold in this time and space. Before I had kids I told myself that I would raise my children with a gender neutral attitude. I have heard that once you give birth in a hospital they wrap your babe up in either a pink or blue blanket. Whether this is true or not it is just one of the many places where a still-steaming babe may encounter his or her first brush with gender conditioning. I will say that now that I am guiding a boy and a girl through this world, I can CLEARLY see that indeed there is a difference between boys and girls. I caught glimpses while teaching, but not as in your face as the ones I now encounter on a daily basis. When Sylvan was a year old he wanted to climb and jump off of anything possible. I would stack pillows around the coffee table and he would endlessly climb up and jump off full of delight. Talia as a one year old was perfectly content lying on her belly perfecting her pincer grab and putting everything in her mouth. I don't think it is strictly a gender thing, there is a whole lot of nurture thrown in there too. But, I now believe that YES there is a difference between boys and girls. How that manifests in each child and ultimately each person is something that we can not really know for sure. We can ponder and theorise, but to no end. And that is okay with me. Something funny that went along with the drinking of pee is that Talia was offered a taste of big brothers pee, also through the straw, and according to Sylvan she gleefully accepted. g Currently listening : Karma By Delerium Release date: By 22 April, 1997 6:39 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove -

	Trina M.	It is so true. We try our best to be very gender neutral but while Coulter is 'Mr. Distructo', Delia loves to hang out and lap sit. And even though we have dolls and truck for both kids, Delia seems much more inclined to play with the dolls and Coulter with the trucks. I find it really interesting. Trina Posted by Trina M. on Mar 4, 2008 7:50 AM [Remove] [Reply to this]

bonny

As you know, I have no children. But I feel that I was raised gender neutral. While my "grandma honey" always wanted a girl (out of 6 boys until she was 48-so yes there is still hope if I so dream), I was raised by my Uncle Rudy. I remember running head first into pillow cushions of my grandma's couch like a line backer, and running 'amok' around the block, actually punching a little boy right smack in the face for knocking me off my hot wheels. I didn't know the difference, yet I still loved to wear my stupid 'Big Burt' dress for easter, and cook (as I still do now). It is truly amazing. I am the only woman among a group of men now and pharmacy is supposed to be a 'woman's' occupation in this day and age, but I feel that I can stand up to them. But on that same note, I also feel as if I have to out perform them. And I do. But I realize WHY I do. That is the question. How can we raise our girls to be women that are confident enough to feel that they don't have to 'out-perform'. G, look at me, you know the last thing I want to do is be a "Dr." but why do I do it? To have that added edge. What do I want to do? Cook, make house, nurture. It is such a double-edge sword. Our goal is to instill in our daughters that they are complete as they are. I will shut up now, Sorry I know I don't have children and can't even imagine how you all do it. B Posted by bonny on Mar 31, 2008 12:50 AM