I try hard to avoid gender stereotypes with my kids. I know full well that my career over the last 30 years as a computer programmer was made possible by a woman. I also know that one the most hardcore overland adventurers I know is a woman. There seem to be a lot more male chefs on TV than women. And my daughter continually amazes me with her Herculean strength, even as my son impresses me with his empathy. And yet, it seems, children pick up on stereotypes as early as preschool even from the most innocent comments. Yes, it turns out that even “Good morning, boys and girls” is enough to induce gender awareness in preschoolers.
Posts Tagged ‘studies’
Teaching Gender Stereotypes
Saturday, November 20th, 2010Talking To Kids — Does It Work?
Friday, October 22nd, 2010It seems that radio stations play the “talk to your kids about drugs” ads almost as much as they do music these days. Aside from the fact that they aren’t music, that’s not a bad thing. After all, I don’t think anyone would argue that parents shouldn’t talk to their kids about drugs or that doing so would lead to increased abuse. Mind you, it’s certainly not foolproof prevention, but it also certainly can’t hurt. So why is it that parents don’t feel the same way about sex?
Autism Causes Whooping Cough
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010Whooping cough is at the top of its five-year cycle and, according to Mike Sicilia of the California Department of Health, is “on track to surpass our 50-year high.” So why is a disease that can be fatal to infants on the rise, especially since we have a vaccination for it? That’s an excellent and important question and some doctors think they have the answer. Furthermore, I happen to agree with them.