A while back Twodles was playing with his army guy and was naming what it had on. He said shoe, hat, and then pointed to the weapon attached to its tiny green plastic body and asked "was dat?" I was taken aback because I really didn't want to tell him it was a gun. For some reason the word sounded way to violent for his sweet innocent mind.
I'm not the type of mom that won't allow toy weapons in the house, but it just caught me off guard. So, after a quick pause, I scrambled to find another word to call it and suddenly blurted out sword! As if that sounds any less violent, right?
Needless to say his innate ability to make gun noises has manifest itself in the form of the sound "fu-choo" If you ask him what he is doing he will tell you he is "just fu-choo-ing"
On his birthday almost every other present was a gun in some form or another. He got a western looking gun, one that blows bubbles, and a Toy Story themed one that shoots foam disks lightening fast across the room.
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| Birthday boy with his new gun |
When he can't find his guns or doesn't have access to them, he will turn practically anything into a gun.
All that being said, I truly believe, as it states in "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" that we are all born with a specific gender identity. I've seen it so clearly during my time as a preschool teacher when little girls care for and nurture their baby dolls, and when little boys defend and protect. This isn't to say that boys cannot display nurturing qualities, or that they shouldn't play with baby dolls. The same goes for girls. Its not as if girls cannot be a little rough and tumble. We are given abilities and characteristics that enable us to fulfill our future roles as husbands or wives and fathers or mothers.
Its so fun to see my sweet boys doing what they do best...BEING BOYS!
I totally agree with you! Having a boy/girl set of twins I see the difference daily, and it is HUGE! From very early on they exhibited traditional gender traits. They are only 16 months old but my son LOVES anything with wheels and spends most of his time inspecting wheels, climbing on EVERYTHING or just doing 'boy stuff'. My daughter carries her dolls around, rocks them, and kisses them, she also acts like another mom to her brother, and will literally get after him if he's doing something 'naughty'. Even their manner and when they eat is gender specific. My son tends to just shove as much food in his mouth, while my daughter takes little bits and doesn't eat nearly as much. Not to say these roles can't be switched in different ways, it's just that they aware exhibiting a specific gender identity like you said. Having kids is so fun just to see the differences. :)
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