Let the Baby Decide!
“Are you having a boy or a girl?”
This is one of the most common questions asked to those who have just revealed they are expecting a little one.
This is question is logical, understandable, and completely accurate. From a biological perspective, it would be absurd to assume there are more than two options…or for the expecting parent to respond:
“We don’t know. The child hasn’t decided yet.”
Two Faulty Extremes
The differences in boys and girls, males and females, can swing between two extremes:
- All gender differences are socialized and learned through culture and therefore can be unlearned. This leaves the door open to choosing one’s gender. (I’ve seen this philosophy heavily promoted at the United Nations.)
- All differences in boys and girls are biologically-based which often creates old-fashioned sex roles and stereotypes. This can lead parents and teachers to believe and promote that boys don’t feel emotions (except anger) and girls can’t do math.
The problem with both of these perspectives on gender is that neither of them are based in science and both do harm to people and society. Well-conducted research can help us understand natural laws that govern life and how to use them to benefit not only ourselves but those we love. Even if every celebrity and every post in your social media feed promotes an idea about gender, it doesn’t make it true.
In his book Why Gender Matters, Physician and Psychologist, Dr. Leonard Sax wrote:
“There is more at stake here than the old question of nature versus nurture. The failure to recognize and respect sex differences in child development has done substantial harm over the past thirty years.”
Although there is a lot of good science, I will briefly touch on 4 areas where boys and girls inherently differ and why it should matter to children, parents, and society. Remember differences does not mean that one is better. They are simply different.
Learn more about these 4 areas here at Family Good Things.com.
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