All parenting involves experimentation
Jul. 27th, 2009 12:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
paradox Swedish parents keep 2-year-old's gender secret
Pop’s parents, both 24, made a decision when their baby was born to keep Pop’s sex a secret. Aside from a select few – those who have changed the child’s diaper – nobody knows Pop’s gender; if anyone enquires, Pop’s parents simply say they don’t disclose this information.
In an interview with newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in March, the parents were quoted saying their decision was rooted in the feminist philosophy that gender is a social construction.
“We want Pop to grow up more freely and avoid being forced into a specific gender mould from the outset,” Pop’s mother said. “It's cruel to bring a child into the world with a blue or pink stamp on their forehead.”
Wow, good on them. The rest of the article was very interesting, but the best part is the comments section. I was astounded by how many negative comments there were: "This is tantamount to child abuse.", "These guys are insane! Help the kid!" etc. Is it really so bad to expect people to treat your child as a human being, rather than forcing our societally constructed ideas of gender upon them? Is it really so bad to give your children choices about who they want to be?
When I was a little girl, I played with dolls and Tonka trucks, and it always frustrated me that because the trucks were my brother's, I was only allowed them when he okayed it. I wanted trucks of my own, dammit. If parents give their kids dresses and trousers, trucks and dolls, blue and pink and white and black choices, the kid can pick what they like, instead of what they're supposed to like.
I guess you could say I'm pro-choice?
Wow, good on them. The rest of the article was very interesting, but the best part is the comments section. I was astounded by how many negative comments there were: "This is tantamount to child abuse.", "These guys are insane! Help the kid!" etc. Is it really so bad to expect people to treat your child as a human being, rather than forcing our societally constructed ideas of gender upon them? Is it really so bad to give your children choices about who they want to be?
When I was a little girl, I played with dolls and Tonka trucks, and it always frustrated me that because the trucks were my brother's, I was only allowed them when he okayed it. I wanted trucks of my own, dammit. If parents give their kids dresses and trousers, trucks and dolls, blue and pink and white and black choices, the kid can pick what they like, instead of what they're supposed to like.
I guess you could say I'm pro-choice?