The term ‘stereotypes’ is generally perceived in a negative light, and for good reason. If found in the wrong hands, they can not only be hurtful, but downright demeaning. Of course, like everything in this world, there is the other side of the story and stereotypical comments and behavior are no different. I find myself having quite the chuckle with my closest friends about their actions that would most certainly qualify neatly into this category. Fortunately for me, I don’t have to look to far to exercise my stereotypical, sarcastic funny bone because my kids give me all the ammunition that I need to keep these observations alive and kicking.
Sonya and I have two kids, a 6 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. You see…I can’t even get one sentence in without the first one hitting you right in the mouth. The older one is the boy…the protector, the enforcer, the strong willed. The younger one is the girl, the smaller, weaker one…the one that needs to be protected (don’t get on your soapbox just yet, ladies…’weaker’ in relation to him. She will always be the lil’ sis.) The boy is an athlete…tough, rugged and always ready and willing to mix it up in some sort of game, sport or general competition. The girl, while very athletic, couldn’t give two you know whats about sports or anything related to, with the exception of cheerleaders and pom pom girls. (shocker, huh?) Don’t get me wrong, she does enjoy winning, but only in a not sport application such as getting the most candy on Easter, Halloween or Christmas. The boy sometimes has trouble in school focusing and getting his assignments done. He doesn’t like to write and he usually only generates the bare minimum effort when it comes to keeping up his oh-so-important kindergarten grades and test scores. The girl loves to write and draw, and can sit focused on a task for long periods of time. While only in preschool, it is obvious to see that she not only is going to do well in school, she will most likely LIKE it…a concept lost on her dear old Dad, as he was one that tried to just ‘get by’ by cutting every corner known to man. The boy has an unlimited supply of toy guns, army men, cars, trucks, and sports stuff at his disposal and he has quickly become an expert in all the standard operating procedures that need to be followed when engaging with any of the above. The girl also has an endless quantity of Barbies, Princesses, dresses, shoes and stuffed animals in which she most certainly knows each and every name assigned to said, doll, princess or baby. She is a girly girl, through and through. The boy plays rough, the girl plays easy. The boy is meat and potatoes, and the girl will actually eat a salad. The girl is extremely particular with her clothing selections and the boy could care less what threads happen to be touching his body at any given moment. It seems like every day these two do something that can be added to this list and while I don’t document every one, I most certainly notice them and regularly think how stereotypical they are.
So, what does all this mean? Absolutely nothing. It’s fun to notice these things, but at the end of the day, God made them for who they are and they were hard wired for a reason. Yes, they’re patterns fall in line with more than 50% of their same sex counterparts, which is the reason that these stereotypes exist in the first place. When the majority of a particular class of something behaves in a similar fashion, a ‘standard’ begins to come into focus and while some people will poke fun at these ‘standards’, I think I will try and celebrate these traits for all they are worth. Actually…I take that back. The temptation will be too great to pass up, so from now on, I will poke fun, but do it in a celebratory fashion. I’ve always thrived with my ability to multitask. No reason to suspend that now.
