Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Silly Question

As a graduate student in psychology, I've read a few ideas about how gender roles form. Do boys act like boys because they're born that way? Or are they rowdy because we raise them to act rowdy? And how do we explain girls' behavior? Nature or nurture?

It's a complicated question, and way out of my league. (You: *fainting with relief*) Yes, I'll leave that topic for another blogger -- maybe one who sleeps through the night. And who knows which day of the week it is. One who would definitely never do this.

Here, I'll just stick with the true story of our afternoon.

Today at the bookstore, a sweet cashier gave my kidlings each a free pack of silly bands. Royal Princess was quick to put them to use.

Stretchy rubber shapes + Royal Princess = bracelets. Naturally! Or whatever.

(By the way, isn't she dear?)

After I gave Little Man his silly bands, he ran to his room and played quietly for a long while. Upon emerging, he presented this:

In case you're not sure, that's Superboy. Tied up with silly bands. (Next time you think you're having a rough day, remember: You could be Superboy.)

Stretchy rubber shapes + Little Man = ropes to hold a captive.

In closing, I would just like to state for the record that: 1) As a child, I owned an indestructible Tonka truck;
2) on which I sat and made my little sisters pull me down the hall; until 3) they eventually disassembled my indestructible truck. (Looking back, I'm a little suspicious about how that all went down. . .)

At the end of the day, I'm not sure what this all means about the nature of life or gender or even silly bands. But I do know this: Both my kids are creative geniuses.

Raising Einsteins,
Becki~

5 comments:

  1. Having raised, babysat and observed both genders, I believe it is not that complicated of a question.
    Perfect example: daughter plays with doll looks like dressing, feeding, tenderly carrying around swaddled in blanket. Son, raised with three sisters, so lets forget about being raised to be all boy, playing with same doll looks like doll being held by head, accidentally dropped, and proclamations that baby was run over by a truck.
    Guess which one we don't let babysit ...

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  2. Haha! You're right; raising kids cuts down on some of the theory & gets right to the point. :) Having a boy and then a girl has pushed me to one side, that's for sure.

    Last night at church, Princess was pushing Baby Mosey in her stroller. Along came Little Man, who hijacked the stroller and shoved it full-speed into the wall.

    Needless to say, Baby Mosey should've been wearing a tighter seat belt. ;)

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  3. While at the same time my nephew who came to live with me for a little while who lived with no other siblings and had tons of boys to play with at his moms neighborhood... Loves to play dress up (heels and purse included) and loved to play with baby dolls and barbies. I think it doesn't matter and I also think that it doesn't mean they that child will grow to be more effiminate in adult life or even gay as some might prefer to think (i see NOTHING wrong with a little boy who is only 2-3 playing with dolls!) I think that there is far to much read into what is predisposed and what isnt.

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  4. Blue - Sounds like individuality. :)

    Little Man turns my high-heeled shoes into weapons. Watch out, world!

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  5. I think about Mackenzie, who, at 13 months, sat STILL for me to paint her toenails (which was her idea). You can't tell me that I raised her to be that way over the course of a year! :)

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