I’d like to state my opinion here, without needing a flame-proof overall.
As a child (cis female) and as a mother of 2 daughters, I was repulsed by all the pink princess/lace/fru-fru stuff. I never related to the princess waiting for her prince stuff. Maybe in the 60’s TV I saw too many of the spunky woman type who stood up for herself.
I never related to dolls etc. My kindergarden teacher was appalled that I played with blocks and trucks. When she called my mother, Mom said “just let her play with whatever she wants”.
Raising daughters, I never bought them frilly pink outfits, we had hot-wheels cars, blocks, etc. They are 1) an engineer, 2) an entomologist (insect scientist) and have good careers.
I don’t agree with the words this actress used regarding raising children, but I agree with adapting to the personality of the individual child.
YMMV (your mileage may vary)
From Jerry Walls, as quoted in the article:
“Yes, you can teach little girls to be strong. You can teach little boys to be sensitive, kind, and gentle. You can teach girls to be leaders. Nothing wrong with any of that, ...”
It’s quite a different thing to teach children that they are something biologically that they aren’t.
Your experiences show that not everyone behaves in stereotypical male or female manners.
And I think that’s always been true.
I’m thinking that you never thought you were anything other than female, and the same is true for your daughters. It’s one thing to see people not conform to gender stereotypes. It’s quite another to say, as these activists say, that we just don’t know what someone’s gender identity really is.
Thanks for sharing.
“(cis female)”. Sorry, m-d, a lot of us do not know what this means and are not going to look it up.
Sounds like your family has common sense. My girls were raised with tiaras and dresses and motorcycles and Sea Doos. And they were expected to help out with physical labor/chores when needed. One’s beginning a teaching career and the other works in a children’s hospital emergency room and is going to school to be a nurse.