A little three year old boy was shopping with his mother for a new toy. Looking around the toy store, he spotted what he wanted—a pink doll pram. He started pushing it around the store with obvious joy. That is when another customer went up to him and said, “Oh you don’t want that, it’s just for girls, not boys! It’s all pink and girly. There’s cars and dinosaurs over there, why would you want that girly thing?!” Whoops!
Before his mother could intervene, the little boy gave the perfect response, “'Cause I like it.” It is as simple as that. The incident led to his mother, Rheann MacLaren, posting an open letter shooting down the other customer. She said that the idea is not about labels or gender stereotyping. It is simply about a little boy liking something to play with without thinking about it being a “boy” toy or a “girl” toy. It is just a fun toy.
His mother went on stating that her son will put his baby dolly in it and push it around, “because yes, shock horror, my son has a dolly too.” She goes on to explain that her boy has trucks, cars, dinosaurs and monsters. He likes playing in the mud. He also likes to play with a doll and play in his toy kitchen pretending to cook. He pretends to iron clothes. He likes to watch her put her makeup on. Is she worried? “No, not in the slightest. My child will grow up a well rounded, accepting boy who will NEVER feel pressured to conform to gender stereotypes.”
As she told the Mirror, "Men push buggies with their children in them as adults so what's so wrong with a child doing it? Women learn to drive every day so what's wrong with a little girl playing with cars or trucks? We just need to encourage kids in their interests."
We need more parents like Rheann in this world. Maybe someday we will.
I admire the mom and the boy. But to say he will "NEVER feel pressure to conform to gender stereotypes" is unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, you are right.
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