It's a boy thing

Typical that a moan would drive me back to here, but that's who I am.

Todays topic. Gender labels. again.

Today's annoying comment - 'you know boys don't sit still long enough to learn at this age (2-3)'.

No. Now I am obviously biased as I only have a girl, and perhaps I'll have to eat my hat if I ever get a boy but I cant help notice that in my life there are numerous negative labels associated with boys, and dismissed because 'it's just a boy thing'.

I tried to be accommodating to this comment, given in reference to the fact that Starbucks can now identify a letter 'e' anywhere and will regularly scour billboards and signs looking for an 'e', before pointing it out to anyone who'll listen. This is apparently in advance of boys of her age and older (the one this person was referring to is over a year older), as they are too busy running around to learn 'academic' things like this.

I don't buy it. And I think it is unfair. When I think about it Starbucks did not learn the letter 'e' from sitting down at the table with me reading books. She learnt it through billboards, she learnt it through stories and she learnt it through play doh stamps. Today in the lift we talked about the numbers 2 and 4. (she also knows the number 2 - apparently it is 'my [her] number') as we counted up when the numbers in the lift changed. progressing to the 4th floor. We talk about numbers when we count how many strawberries she is allowed at dinner, we talk about numbers when we try to identify what bus is coming, and we are beginning to learn to add when she gets 'one more' throw over the sofa, or 'one more' run around the house before bed. Starbucks doesn't really sit still either, as I believe is normal for most 2 year olds.

So unless these boys I hear of do not eat food, go in lifts, see any billboards, go on buses, run around the house, use play doh, listen to stories at night or jump off the back of their sofa, I don't see why most cannot learn in a manner similar to Starbucks.

The flip side of these comments is not only are they negative for the boys, but also for the girls. No need to praise them, girls just love to sit quietly and learn numbers and letters!

Other annoying comments:
'girls are just naturally obedient aren't they?'
'I didn't get Starbucks a car, I got her a hair clip instead so she can look pretty'