Break with tradition: don't stereotype your children

Stereotyping children is like trying to force them into a mould that is not the right shape for them - they never fit properly, and we end up making them unhappy.

To help our children achieve happiness we need to help them discover who they are and what they like.  We can show them a variety of ways of living and dressing and behaving and playing so that, as time goes on, they can decide which they like best.

The proper name for this common practice is gender stereotyping - forcing boys and girls to fit into standard male and female moulds.  Parents do it without thinking, because often they were usually brought up with the same stereotypes.  Most children experience some negative effects, but some are seriously damaged and find themselves very unhappy for many years.

Recent research has shown that we cannot change the kind of gender behaviour that is right for a child: they are born with it, and will eventually have to live it if they are to be happy.  Forcing them into a role that is wrong for them makes them uncomfortable and unhappy, and wastes many years of their life as they seek their true role.

Putting it simply, try to bring boys and girls up in the same way, giving them the same opportunities, the same choices, the same care, the same adventures.  Let them make the choices as they grow up, and show that you are happy with whatever they choose.

For example:

Bring your children up without stereotypes and they will be happier for the whole of their lives.