Gender Bias: Can You Have Your Gender Reveal Cake & Eat It, Too? Parenting

Erica Hornthal
5 years ago

In a world where we are trying to reduce gender bias and place importance on individuality rather than fitting into a box, I find that sometimes we are doing just the opposite. When I was a mom-to-be I always found it interesting when people asked, "What are you having?" I would usually reply, "A baby." All jokes aside, I knew people were asking so they could identify what colors to adorn the child in – blue for boy and pink for girl.

This post is not about right or wrong. It is simply about being aware of the choices you make and how they influence your thoughts, beliefs and judgments in the future. Notice how much importance you place on your child's sex vs. gender and how that influences the things they wear or even the hobbies they take part in.

What are ways that you have broken the gender bias? How do you support your child's cross-gender interests?

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Comments (5)

Elisa Schmitz
What a great post! You're so right, Erica Hornthal - it starts even before birth. I was the only girl who played on an all-boys Little League team. My daughters followed in my footsteps and were the only girls on their youth baseball team. I think sports is a great way to encourage breaking the gender bias, but there are many other ways (from clothes to hair and more), and they are more accepted now, I think. Baby steps, but at least steps forward!
Teacher Karen
Having been a female engineer long ago, I'm all for offering a variety of experiences to both boys and girls---supporting their individual interests. I'd prefer to think when people ask questions like "Do you know what you're having?" that it's just the easiest way for them to start a conversation as I like talking with people!
Ann Marie Patitucci
Such a great point, Erica Hornthal ! I found out that I was having a boy with each of my two pregnancies, but there were no blue nurseries at our home. I chose yellow for one and green for the other, quite deliberately! And both my boys have always loved the color purple.
Erica Hornthal
I painted my daughter's room blue because I wanted to use it afterward as a game/toy room after her nursery.
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