10 Gender Based Stereotypes Imposed on Kids ...

By Jenny

There are many gender based stereotypes that come into play in our society today. Some of them start at birth, but all of them are thrust upon our kids from a very young age. Not all of them are blatantly bad, but they all greatly influence the roles our kids feel they need to play as they get older. These 10 gender based stereotypes are just the tip of the iceberg, there are many more. Now I’m not saying that every parent, teacher or guardian does these things, I’m just saying they are far more common today than they should be and perhaps we should pay a little more attention to how we influence our kids.

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1

Women Stay Home While Men Work

Women Stay Home While Men Work Despite the fact that women have been growing stronger and stronger in the workforce for many, many years, it is still quite common for young kids to play house in such a way that the girl cooks, cleans and takes care of the baby and the boy goes to work or uses toy tools to fix things around the home. This may be ingraining in our children’s minds that the men earn the income and the women are responsible for all of the housework. There is nothing wrong with introducing tools to our girls or cooking to our boys. This is one of the gender based stereotypes I think we need to nip in the bud.

2

All Men Love Sports

All Men Love Sports Boys are constantly encouraged to play sports from an early age. You start with catch then progress to Tee-ball when they hit school age. Girls who show an interest in sports are dubbed “Tomboys,” while many parents try to talk them out of torn jeans with grass stains and into frilly pink dresses. Kids should be encouraged to participate in whatever activities they have an interest in, regardless of their gender.

3

Color Coding

Color Coding From the moment babies are born they are dressed in blue for boys and pink for girls. This color coding system advances as they get older, with girls feeling pressured to have pink or purple as their favorite color and boys being told they can’t like those colors because they are for girls.

4

Men Are the Boss

Men Are the Boss This goes along with the “playing house” concept. The man goes to work, the woman stays at home. While that may still be the most common arrangement, it certainly isn’t the only one. Many women are single mothers, more and more both parents are required to work because of financial issues… it isn’t always the father that is the head of the household. Parents should share responsibility whenever possible and kids shouldn’t be taught to respect their father more than their mother.

5

Men Think about Sex All Day (and Women Don’t)

Men Think about Sex All Day (and Women Don’t) As a woman, I’d just like to say I think about sex quite frequently. The common thought is that men obsess about sex day in and day out, and women just “give in” to them. In reality, women want to have sex just as much as men. It’s just as pleasurable for us as it is for them!

Famous Quotes

If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.

Laozi
6

Only Women Gossip

Only Women Gossip TV shows and movies especially perpetuate the stereotype that when women gather in a group, they all gossip together. Well, of course we do! Well…some of us. But men gossip just as much. They talk about their friends, co-workers, sex and relationships too. I’d love to see a TV show where a group of guys is sitting around in a circle conversing about the latest scandal.

7

Job Types

Job Types Nurses are women, doctors are men, right? NO! I know that years ago there were certain jobs that were specific to each gender, but the time for that has long passed. It’s time to let our children know they can be whatever they want to be and embrace their decisions.

8

Guys Are Cheaters

Guys Are Cheaters Because guys “think about sex all day,” for some reason we seem to believe their lust is uncontrollable and this is why it is widely thought that most men are cheaters. In fact, not all men are cheaters and on top of that, many women are cheaters as well! It’s not fair to blame it all on one gender.

9

Girls Are Clean and Guys Are Slobs

Girls Are Clean and Guys Are Slobs I’m pretty guilty of believing this one myself, but two different situations really opened my eyes to the flaw in this theory. I went on a 2 month trip the summer between 9th and 10th grade. There were 47 teenagers and we were split into girls' and boys' sleeping quarters. While the boys kept their living area fairly clean, the girls area was almost unlivable! The bathroom was cluttered and gross, all sorts of clothing, both dirty and clean, was scattered all over the room and hardly anyone made their beds in the morning. When I was 18 I got a job at Walmart. Occasionally I would help out in the clothing departments, where I would need to refold or hang up any garments that had been messed up. The men’s department was probably 20 times cleaner at any given time of day than the women’s department. When men had unfolded a shirt or pants they either hung them back up, draped them neatly over the rack, or stealthily hid them inside the fixtures. Women left clothing thrown wherever they wanted. If a shirt fell off of a hanger, it was left lying there on the floor. So don’t believe the hype, we’re slobs too!

10

Women Are Overly Sensitive, Men Don’t Show Emotion

Women Are Overly Sensitive, Men Don’t Show Emotion Personally, I AM overly sensitive, but not all women are. Furthermore, there are plenty of men who cry, have sad moments, and show genuine happiness. It is no longer believed you are a “stronger” man if you refuse to cry openly, so many more men are now comfortable expressing themselves and their feelings. So don’t tell your son he shouldn’t cry when he’s hurt or sad. Crying is a natural way to release your emotions.

I’m not saying don’t dress your little girls in pink and let them play with dolls, I’m just saying don’t allow them to think that that is their only option. Boys don’t have to play sports; the arts and music are equally as important and impressive. What stereotypes do you think we need to address?

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a women staying home and raising the kids while the man works. Nothing. It's not degrading or insulting- a large majority of women have an ingrained sense to nurture, spend as much time as possible with their children, take care and manage the home, and be joyful and satisfied in that role. And lets not forget that education plays a huge role in that. I have a bachelors of science and feel like there's no better place to use my education than shaping the minds of my son and future children! And I'm not meaning home schooling- I mean everyday learning opportunities. Also, most men feel the strong urge to provide and are not satisfied in life if that isn't being attained. There are outliers of course, but this is the most common wiring of men and women and it's ok I celebrate that and encourage it. And yes, if the woman has to work then by all means! This is simply a statement regarding the choice to stay home if it's financially viable.

I think that all these serotypes are old-fashion and we're getting away from them. It depends on how the family raises their child.

Love this article. I have both a son and a daughter. My daughter is the athletic one, where my son finds interest in his music.

Wtf? I highly doubt people implant the idea of sex into kid's brains

Love this, it's so true! Thanks for sharing

The little boy for "job types" is so CUTE!!

The photo for little boys 'Job Types' is of a little boy dressed up as 'the eleventh doctor' from 'Doctor Who'! That is so precious you guys are brilliant!

As has been said by people a lot smarter than me: sex is what, or is what is not, between your legs, gender is what is between your ears. Describe what it feels like to be female; imagine how it feels to be male...then try to impose one of these stereotypes on those feelings: men provide, women nurture, girls love pink, guys could wear a white shirt every day. It's gender that makes each of us unique, not sex! This is not a criticism but an observation: who decides that bugs and trains are "boy" things? Or that cooking is more a thing for "girls"? As Jessica says, it's that to which a boy is drawn, that to which a girl is drawn...boys and girls and girls ARE different, but gender is what CAN make them individual...does any of this make sense

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