Before reading this blog post topic
or these articles, I hadn’t really given much thought to raising a
gender-neutral child. Actually, there are a lot of things that I had not
thought about until this class and I am thankful that this class has brought many
things to my attention that will greatly impact me as a teacher in the near
future.
After reading these articles, I can see
why these parents have chosen to raise their children in a neutral-gender
environment. Gender differentiation between male and female has become very
distinct in the past years, which is not the best for our children. Roberts
writes, “Gender affects what children wear and what
they can play with and that shapes the kind of person they become” (Lucky boy
raised without gender stereotypes). I understand that there are differences
between boys and girls and as a result they will be raised differently, but I
do not think people should try and shape children to be a certain way. An
example that comes immediately to mind is toys. It is okay for children to play
with all types of toys. Playing with a Barbie is not going to make a boy like
boys or become gay. For example, my brother has three sisters and as a result
has played with many girls’ toys and grew up playing house. However, he is
definitely as boy at heart. Davis and James write, "Identity formation is really critical for every
human being and part of that is gender" (Canadian Mother Raising
'Genderless' Baby, Storm, Defends Her Family's Decision). I think that we need to be
careful in how we tell children that they can or cannot do certain things while
growing up, but in terms of raising a gender-neutral child, I do not think it
is best or the right thing to do in society today.
Like I said, I do understand why these
parents would want to raise their children in a neutral environment, I,
personally, do not think it is the best thing to do in today’s society. Good or
bad, these stereotypes are ingrained in society and these children will not be
raised to handle these stereotypes when they get into school. This may lead to
bullying and other issues in school, because most other children are not raised
this way. While I do not think bullying and teasing about this is right, I can
see how it would be detrimental for a child to experience and would want to
prevent this from happening. With all of this said, I think it is completely up
to the parents in how they will raise their children and they can do what they
choose, but you cannot shelter or prevent your child from experiencing today’s
society. And, for today’s society to accept gender-neutral children, it will
take years of change, even though I do think that it could one day happen if
all of society understood why.
I agree with you Haley! I think the concept of raising a child gender neutral is well at heart but at the surface I don't think its the best idea for the well-being of the child. There is definitely a way to be conscious of letting your child do what they please without depriving them of a gender. Going through grad school everyone clings to things that define who they are, gender is a big part of that.
ReplyDeleteHaley,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and I appreciate that you demonstrate such an open mind concerning this topic. At the very surface level, I agree that a boy playing with a baby doll will not immediately make him gay. I feel that children should have freedom of expression and should be able to play with the toys that they choose. But, I also feel that it is the responsibility of the parents to guide their child and teach him or her the ways of life. In my opinion, this would include the parents raising a boy with toys and clothes that are appropriate for a boy, for example. I also feel that trying to raise a child in a gender-neutral environment in today’s society would lead to negative results. As you mentioned, these negative effects can include, but are not limited to, bullying, teasing, and confusion for the child. It is sad that today’s society has become such a harsh environment. Parents should do their best to adequately prepare their children to be able to survive and thrive in the world today.