Last week I was at my adorable baby niece's first birthday party. There were tons of kids there. I was overwhelmed by all the chaos, so I steered clear as much as possible. While I was eating some birthday cake I observed the natives- it was quite disturbing. Numerous times, I saw dad's tell their sons to "toughen up," "HEY, that's unacceptable," "No whining!" The girls did not get the same type of treatment.
I know this is reiterating what we already know is true, but seeing it in action made me sad. No wonder boys grow into men who are afraid or unable to communicate about their feelings or problems. They are told from a young age to suck it up.
If I ever have kids, I'll try to be fair about the gender stereotypes that parents typically enforce. It seems like its an ongoing struggle not easily overcome.
