Guiding Light 2: the feminist trakt

I took the boys to their sports class the other day. It is a mixed gender class, and at this age, the boys and girls are totally equal in abilities. If anything, the girls seem to have more hand/eye coordination. After class, on line for the water fountain, I heard one of the fathers joke to his 5 year old son, "Are you crying like a little girl?"

I stopped, annoyed that such blatant sexism still existed. I debated internally, 'should I say something?' I realized the dad probably did not realize how damaging that type of comment is. I was hopeful that no little girls in the vicinity heard.

Another time, I was at the toy store, and a little boy, maybe 2 years old, asked his father if he could get the broom and vacum cleaner playset. His father's response was, "that's a girl's toy." I nearly bit a hole in my tongue trying not to get in his face about it. "WHY is a broom a girls toy?" First, I did not realize that girls had to play with certain toys and boys had another set. Second, WHY are cleaning items in the female domain?

I will say that motherhood has opened my eyes to the hardwired differences between male & female. There are certain things that many, not all, boys seem to gravitate to naturally. But in general, Fathers, please think before speaking to your sons? Comments that equate weakness with little girl (throwing like a, crying like a, running like a little girl) are wrong.