and be ladylike and passive while boys toys encourage them to create and explore, never giving them the idea that there are limits to what they can do. Parents usually encourage these ideas without even realizing it. For example, girls are praised for playing with dolls but boys are often ignored for displaying nurturing behavior. Likewise, boys get attention for being good at sports while girls dont often receive encouragement for being active. As Bruning points out in his article Separating the Sexes in Toyland, these kinds of stereotypes are destructive because they limit our potential (22). It is not difficult to notice that in general little boys are more spatially and mathematically inclined and little girls are more verbal (Arbetter 16). However, a study done in 1992 called How Schools Shortchange Girls found that young boys who play with dolls develop better motor skills and girls who play with blocks develop better math and science skills (Zhumkhawala, 48)Besides the toys they buy, parents affect their childrens concept of gender roles in the way they interact with them and by example. For one, parents tend to play rougher with boys than with girls, enforcing the idea that boys should be tough and girls should not act out. Also, Girls usually spend more time with their mothers and boys with their fathers. Therefore, girls end up doing girlie things like playing with make-up and helping Mommy make dinner. Boys do manly things like playing catch or helping Daddy in the garage. It wouldnt take much for parents to change this. A father and son could include the daughter while practicing sports. A son could help his mother in the kitchen or even take care of a younger sibling. Parents should try to avoid telling boys to stop crying and act like a big boy because hearing that enough over time could make them think that its not okay for boys to show emotion. They should also steer clear of telling girls repeatedly to m...
