The Influence of Gender and Parents

Gender stereotypes don’t have to define your behavior. All genders should be able to enjoy all aspects of certain gender specific activities, styles, etc. Throwing “like a girl” or “like a guy” shouldn’t define your skill level or athleticism, you throw like a girl because you are one and vice versa. I should be able to get up in the morn- ing and not feel ashamed to get super dressed up and totally be into my cute, “girly” cloths. Females and males should be comfortable expressing themselves in whatever way they feel.

Growing up, femininity was pointed out in way too many situations. Of course, I didn’t mind it when I was little, considering all my ideas came from my parents. But now, I reject feminine ideals in myself, even though I love being feminine and girly, only because it’s what my parents expect from me.

Unlike my situation, some males and females are expected to be tougher and stronger than the female stereotype, painting femininity as a unwanted, weak trait. These people in this situation will grow up potentially denying femininity, which may be their only way to truly express themselves. These gender expectations and stereotypes, placed by parents, are so much instilled in children’s minds that they will even deny reality if it doesn’t match their gender ideals, found in a study in 1990 Sheldon, A. in Young Children. There’s a huge role parents have on a child’s minds, especially in gender socialization to gender ideals. Both situations, and there are many more then the two described, are not healthy to the emotional and mental development of children.

I think it’s crucial for parents to provide their kids with a lifestyle not so focused on gender stereotypes, or gender at all. In the end, parental influence on children’s socialization to gender is very powerful. I can positively say that this ideal environment is more encouraged nowadays than it ever has been. More and more people are accepting whom they are and want to be and parents are more becoming accepting.