My gender stereotyping moan of the day

My moan - ad in today's paper "19 smelly socks. 12 sweaty shirts. 5 dirty jumpers and 1 washing fairy" Picture of woman gazing into the distance "Being a mum can be hard but choosing your energy deal shouldn't be..."

Oh fuck off.

Oooh, I saw advertised on freecycle Girls toys: cuddly toys, dolls, a small play kitchen, play house
So, dolls and can just about understand because society really frowns on it (poor DS1 even got teased at school for playing with a doll. luckily the teacher overheard and squashed the other child) but kitchens, cuddly toys and play houses are for girls are they?

And my annoyance of the day. A friend's DD is turning 2 and she's after gift suggestions.

So far: dolls' house, pram & doll, kitchen.

a lady in the street today called my son (dressed in hot pink trousers, red wellies and a green coat, pushing his baby doll in a barbie pushchair) a sweet girl - I enjoyed her face when I told her he was a boy :)

My experience exactly, MakesCakesWhenStressed.

I have a 6 month DS. When he's kicking his legs about he's a 'little footballer'. Girls, however, are 'little ballerinas'.

And this stereotyping started in the womb!

I find it very difficult to praise my ds for things that are not typically said to boys, because most of the positive things said to small children about their characteristics or achievements are more masculine, all the positive things said to girls are about their appearance. So whilst I occasionally call him sweet, or doesn't he look lovely in that top, mostly I praise his curiosity, strength, activity, intelligence.
I make sure I say these things to his female friends too, but I rarely have to edit the things I saw to ds whereas I often have to self edit things I say to his girlfriends. Sad, but true.

Pet hate phrase ' typical boy'

No. typical baby. Grrr

Jeez. paucity of aspiration, imagination and ambition, or what?

.. ah have you seen a "future WAG" t-shirt.. Dh practically had to physically restrain me from throttling the parents. Sigh

TotoroOnTheCatBus
... I don't want her to internalize the idea the girls should be dainty and weak.

This! Thank you! I detest this drive for some parents - both male and female - to wrap their kids in sodding cotton wool. DD and DS were taught to climb, throw balls, ride bikes, get muddy, cope with scabbed knees, swim in open water.

DS and DD were similarly taught easy cooking, sewing buttons, trouser hems, changing plugs and using power tools. [OK, chainsaws waited till they were teens... so they could wear the kit]

Aaaargh when I see daddy's little pwincesses, mummy's bwave climbing hero.

This s one of the reasons I tend to leave dd dressed as a boy.. she gets comments on how big/strong/friendly/talkative she is.. Dressed as a girl, aren't you so pretty, look at your pretty dress..

I try and tell her how big and strong she is as often as I can in a positive way. She won't hear as she gets older (not in a nice way anyway) as she is a girl and she will be big and strong. I'm nearly 6 foot and dh is 6'3 so it is a sure thing and I don't want her to internalize the idea the girls should be dainty and weak.

OP, that would send me ranty too. And people dont' seem to realise how prevalent these messages are and seem to think it's all down to 'hardwiring'

YoullLaugh - yes, I had a small rant about that one the other day :-)

That ad is truly awful and like the OPs comments seems to suggest women are only fit for shopping

Ha! I doubt they would have said the same about the opposite sex child. It's mindless.

And young children absorb those messages, and become preoccupied with complying with gender specific roles IME.

My gender stereotyping moan of the day is .

Women are:

a) airhead shopaholics
b) mumsy grocery buying drudges
c) mad cat ladies

Men are:

a) trawler fishermen
b) sport cyclists
c) criminals
d) in the pub with a pint