No Matter the Stereotype, We Are the Same

From the beginning of life, we are expected to act a certain way. By this, I mean that once the announcement of "It's a Girl" or "It's a Boy" comes, parents start to buy either pink or blue clothes, toy cars or Barbies, Minnie Mouse or Paw Patrol diapers, etc. However many children tend to grow up differently. Not all girls wanted to play with Barbies and not all boys wanted to play in the dirt. Once we are born we have an expectation about what we want to play with, what our favorite color will be, or even who we will interact with more. During my time in elementary school, I saw so many different people, but based on your gender you were either considered "normal" or "weird". 

When I was in elementary I had a friend who didn't like to play rough. He was a very kind boy and a lot of the girls actually liked to play with him because he preferred not to go play a running game or kickball. The problem for him was that even though the girls loved to hang out with him, the boys would tease him. It was hard for him to want to hang out with the girls instead of the boys and at times he felt pressured to hang out with them. I also had a friend who was more into sports. She didn't like doing crafts or gossiping about who knows what, but instead she wanted to play tetherball or handball. To my surprise, she was actually accepted by the boys and loved it when she played with them. Looking back it was also interesting that the girls saw her as 'cool' because she can do things we couldn't. It was strange to me that based on gender some things were acceptable and others were not.

However, that all changed when I got to middle school and even more in high school. In middle school, the boys who weren't into sports very much were still teased but not as much anymore. As for the girls it became even cooler for them to be in sports and hang out with the boys. In high school, it came to the point where no one even cared anymore. It was interesting to see the difference in how we see each other throughout the age. 

This generation has become even more prone to stereotypes. We have created a name for ourselves. In fact, parents are now even buying gender-neutral colored clothing such as yellow, green, red, etc. We may have been seen as growing up a certain way but in the end, it doesn't matter how we grow up. It's about what we become, not the shows we like or toys we play with. The one mistake I see parents make is that they tell their children not to do something because it isn't "lady-like" or "what a boy would do". I know parents have the best intentions but they also don't realize what those things can do to us in the future. For one, it can make your children more rebellious, disrespect you more, feel like they can't talk to you, etc. I know with my parents, one thing I told many times was about the way I would sit. If my legs weren't together or if I sat crisis cross on a bench wearing a shirt, I was always told to sit lady-like. I understand, but also I was a kid and I should be able to act as one. 

As I've said before, I am so glad that stereotypes aren't as big as they used to be. I'm not asking anyone to change their pay of parenting, but I am asking that you pay attention to how you want to raise your child. When thinking about these things, just know that they are children. So whatever they are doing that you might find "not right" they might grow out of it when they are older. Or if they don't like those action figures or Barbies you bought them and want to play with the opposite, let them. This is the time for them to do what they want and explore the things and people around them. None of us should be expected to be perfect. I mean if you look at all the new Disney princesses or the Marvel movies, none of those characters were able to get where they are without being a bit different. 

Take a look at how you want to raise your child. Don't hold your child back. "If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much."