Ronan shows off his latest interests, pony tails and rainbows. Still the block he holds is "A gun that shoots eyeballs."
When our babes came we didn't have to think twice about it. To me it was a no brainer that my kids would dress how they liked, style their hair as they pleased and play with the toys they wished to. Consequently I have boys who often have long hair styles, play with dolls occasionally, where pink clothes and other such things our society thinks are reserved only for "girls."
Nykki nurses his baby doll.
I rarely think about it personally, it's just our life, but I have had some people make rude comments and become quite confrontational over the amount of freedom I allow my boys. My reply is that it's my boys' choice and I don't hinder nor do I direct. They are who they are and I love them.
Ronan, last year, during a more typically "boy" moment
Gender concepts are especially screwed unfairly for men. A woman could wear short hair and pants to a job interview and no one would bat an eyelash, a man with long hair, or heaven forbid, a skirt, would be turned down for said job - no, he would be laughed out of the building. A little girl is allowed to have short hair, play sports - heck it's encouraged that she explore her "masculine" side but little boys are left no room in our society to explore their "feminine" side.
I once had a childcare client who blushed red when her 2 year-old son picked up a doll to play with. She laughed nervously and said, "We just wont tell Dad about that." Really? How sad for that little boy. How limiting.
An average for my boys. Truly gender free. Ronan waits on the 4th of July parade with short hair, a tie-dye shirt and Strawberry shortcake sandals.
For adults society will always have limitations and socially acceptable guidelines and maybe that's needed to some degree (debatable certainly) however children, in my belief, should be free to explore who they are.
