Conversation I took part in nearly thirty years ago now
Small girl: And then you will pretend to be stuck and I will save you.
Small boy: That's not right! Mommmmm! She's doin' it wrong!
Me, the mom: What are you talking about?
Small boy: Girls don't save boys!
Small girl: I will if I want to!
Me: Okay, let's all settle down. You're saying there are girl things to do and boy things to do?
Small boy: Everybody knows that!
Small girl: Everybody is just dumb! If I am doing it and I am a girl then girls do so it!
Me: Well, that's a good point. Tell me something everybody knows girls don't do.
Small boy: Girls don't play with trucks!
Small girl: But I do play with trucks. And I'm still a girl.
Me: Huh. Maybe 'everybody' isn't always right.
Small boy: This stuff is just confusing.
Small girl: Well, I'm a girl. No matter what I'm doing. Like you're a boy even when we make cookies.
Small boy: Oh. Yeah.
Neither one of them was more than six years old. Both were being raised by a feminist. They had limited television/movie access. Both attended a feminist friendly pre-school. And yet the boy already had his 'everybody knows' and the girl already had to begin teasing out her definition of self against what evereybody knew.
Fast forward to five years ago, and the small girl's offspring had an almost identical conversation in my earshot. I didn't kknow whether to laugh or cry.
no subject
Conversation I took part in nearly thirty years ago now
Small girl: And then you will pretend to be stuck and I will save you.
Small boy: That's not right! Mommmmm! She's doin' it wrong!
Me, the mom: What are you talking about?
Small boy: Girls don't save boys!
Small girl: I will if I want to!
Me: Okay, let's all settle down. You're saying there are girl things to do and boy things to do?
Small boy: Everybody knows that!
Small girl: Everybody is just dumb! If I am doing it and I am a girl then girls do so it!
Me: Well, that's a good point. Tell me something everybody knows girls don't do.
Small boy: Girls don't play with trucks!
Small girl: But I do play with trucks. And I'm still a girl.
Me: Huh. Maybe 'everybody' isn't always right.
Small boy: This stuff is just confusing.
Small girl: Well, I'm a girl. No matter what I'm doing. Like you're a boy even when we make cookies.
Small boy: Oh. Yeah.
Neither one of them was more than six years old. Both were being raised by a feminist. They had limited television/movie access. Both attended a feminist friendly pre-school. And yet the boy already had his 'everybody knows' and the girl already had to begin teasing out her definition of self against what evereybody knew.
Fast forward to five years ago, and the small girl's offspring had an almost identical conversation in my earshot. I didn't kknow whether to laugh or cry.