Thei Kids: The Cause Of Gender Stereotypes

When humans are born, they are assigned to the role of a male or a female. Parents expect their kids to be either masculine or feminine based on whether they are a boy or girl. Kids are always stopped in there tracks and told to stop acting like the opposite gender or be more like their own gender. Many times young children are often times pressured to always act like other people of the same gender. Even though kids are assigned their gender at birth, they should be able to be who they want.
Society has set these guidelines for what males and females should do and be like. Studies show that girls, at the age of 14, feel the need to go on diets and limiting their intake of food even though they were at perfectly fine weights. This can lead to eating disorders, as their bodies are still growing. “...Even girls who enjoyed sports often avoided physical activity at school because they assumed it wouldn’t be a feminine thing to do, they worried they might look unattractive while running, or they were mocked by their male peers for not being good enough” (Ressler). Fourteen year old boys also have a lot of pressure. Boys are encouraged to physically fight when offended or mocked to show their manliness. They are also expected to not cry, so they suppress
For example, there are many gender specific toys that cause kids to play with certain things. This can have a negative effect because a child could be shamed for playing with something that was in a box that looked like it was for the opposite gender. Studies show that kids play with the toys that they believe are meant for their gender (Robb). ‘“Play with masculine toys is associated with large motor development and spatial skills and play with feminine toys is associated with fine motor development, language development and social skills’”(Fulcher). This can impact their future, like their careers, clothes, and