Fighting with gender stereotypes at home

Source: Times of India

Explaining the concept of gender and social constructs to your child can be a tricky job. As your child grows up, so does your child's curiosity and the way you answer to their questions shapes the way your child would face the world in future. 

How to handle the 2 most common stereotypes?

The most common one is “why is the boy crying like a girl”

Crying is a healthy way of venting out their emotions and instead of shutting off your child’s emotions, they should be encouraged to let out their feelings. Stop using phrases like “boys don’t cry” or “stop crying like a girl”. The right thing to do is to tell your child that crying isn’t bad and is a healthy emotion.

Also Read | Megha Mehra advocating gender neutral parenting

Next one is “Pink colour and dolls are not meant for boys”

There are certain socially “acceptable” things for both girls and boys and if they defy that, it means something is wrong with them. This mentality is wrong. Children need an open society to grow up in, and not one which restricts them. So, rather than forcing an idea that a clothing style or a specific colour is best reserved for one gender, allow them to have their own preferences.