It is necessary to avoid saying things to boys which can give rise to gender inequality. Have a quick look at the things which you should never say to your boys.“Blues are for boys; pinks are for girls” – if you still think the same, you really need to go through this article and know what you should never say to your boys. Gender stereotyping has crossed all limits, now it is your responsibility to raise your boy in such a way that he understands a balance view of his own gender and its female counterparts. At the same time, he should be made aware of the negative stereotypes. Rest assured, he will be a
gentleman. Here are 10 things you should never say to your boys.
1. “Boys Do Not Cry”
Our society teaches us that boys are strong and they should not cry. You must disapprove this sexist comment and provide healthy outlet to your son to express his emotions. This will encourage him to talk about his problems more openly.
2. “Boys Don’t Cook”
Never divide the household jobs based on gender, else your son will never learn how to cook, wash his clothes, etc. Do not teach them that girls are supposed to cook and boys are supposed to repair things. Instead, divide the chore among the
siblings equally.
3. “Women Need to Stay Home and Take Care of the Family”
Do not create a gender stereotype image of
girls saying that they just need to stay back at home and take care of the kids and others. No, there are working moms too. It will be very difficult to eradicate these erroneous stereotypes later in the life.
4. “Dolls Are Not Meant for You”
Allow your son to play with whatever he likes – it’s his choice, let him decide what types of toys he wants. In fact, playing with dolls will teach him how to be caring and nurturing.
5. “Arts and Crafts Are Not for You”
You can never limit your son’s creativity and potential by gender inequality. Let your son be creative. Talk to your son about female astronauts, male violinists, female mechanics, male dancers, etc. and make him understand the equality.
6. “Let’s Invite Only Boys to the Party”
If you start this type of trend in your house by allowing your sons to hang out only with boys, then it will be really difficult for them to mingle and socialize with girls. Instead, you must encourage mixed-gender parties, and also send them to mixed-gender school.
7. “Boys Have to Earn More”
As mentioned before, there are working females too. There is no such rule that a man has to work hard and pay for the household. Males can play role of taking care of the house while females can earn money.
8. “Boys Cannot Be Emotional”
Do not teach your son that being emotional is a girlish; instead allow him to show his affection physically. Hug him when he does a good thing or when you feel happy or excited about him. Physical affection is reassuring and healthy.
If you teach
gender equality rightly and from a very early stage, you will never have to worry about the upbringing of your child. Your son will eventually get matured to be a gentleman, and would respect women forever.
How can parents avoid gender inequality? What things should parents never say to boys? How should parents talk to boys? Discuss here.
