To be really saddened about gender stereotyping at pre-prep

[redskyatnight]

So was chatting to SIL last night her DC go to a pre-prep (so caters for ages 4-7). She was bemoaning the lack of after school clubs available for boys that the girls had plenty to choose from but the boys only had really had football and her DS wasnt interested. I expressed my surprise that the school would split organise school clubs by gender and remarked that my DS had enjoyed art, cookery, dance, French at his school between those ages.

Her response was that they had all those same clubs at her DCs school and in theory they were open to everyone, but of course none of the boys wanted to go to the girls clubs".
I slightly fell over in shock at this point, and mumbled something about being surprised the boys were bothered at that age, but SIL assured me that they definitely were.

AIBU to be very saddened that gender stereotyping has kicked in at such an early age?

It's really good that she is so aware of it (and she is right about Barry Scott ha ha)

DS is three and has recently been coming out with all sorts of rubbish. His best friend (a girl) is no longer allowed to play with his cars because it's just for boys. He couldn't eat his beef because the edge was pink and that's for girls

We didn't have a clue where this was all coming from. In my house I'm the one with the tools and DP is the washing up and ironing.

He came home from nursery Friday and I asked what he'd had to eat that day. Normal stuff, then he says he had a yoghurt, but it was a girl yoghurt, boy x said it was. Strawberry so for girls apparently! It only takes one to convince the others.

My ds attends a preprep. Games are separated by gender but after school clubs aren't. My DS went to the cookery club last term, this term he is doing crafts they worked on sewing last week, funnily the majority in this club are boys. There was one girl in the after school football activity but the majority prefer ballet. Drama had a good mix.