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I have always had an opinion about how the world is so different for men and women. Even as an adolescent, I remember taking every opportunity to express my opinion in the matter. I had little hope of making any changes to the way my parents raised us, but I talked and thought about it a lot. I sure thought about it some more when I had my first son, but it has become a serious issue since I had my daughter. Not all girls like to play "Mommy," and not all boys can be strong and brave. Raising children to fulfill traditional female and male roles has a negative effect in their adult life. Gender based play during childhood, the poor promotion of women's achievements throughout history, and an accepting attitude towards gender-based stereotypes, are three important factors that cause low self-esteem in girls and a feeling of superiority in boys. These practices teach men that their place in the world is that of control, and train women to be submissive and accepting of their disadvantaged position in the world. Promoting play based on gender has justification only if we believe that there are exclusive roles for women and men. If we understand that there are only two roles where there can be no crossover, the ones of mother and father, then there is no reason to limit children's play founded on a biological circumstance. Women can only be mothers, never fathers, and viceversa, but biologically and intellectually, both genders are capable of performing well in any occupation. According to Kathy Reyes Smith, a Kindergarten teacher of 35 years, almost exclusively boys play with boys and girls with girls from kindergarten on. At home and even at daycare, children classify people in two categories: adults and children. After age five, they recognize two other categories: boys and girls. Children's gender identity is not threatened by exploring all arenas of life. Not only we can, but we must encourage children to know themselves, find their vocation and develop their potential, intellectually and emotionally. During early childhood, parents and society begin to establish differences based on gender that strengthen a culture of stereotypes. From birth girls and boys have a dress code to match a certain expected behavior? Pastel colors, flower prints, hair ornaments and earrings, go well with a tranquil and docile conduct expected from girls. Blue in various shades and other dark colors, along with prints of machinery, tools, and wild animals constitute the boy's dress code. Later, girls can identify pink as the feminine assigned color, due to its generalized use in their clothes, toys and school supplies. As expected, boys very much stay away from this color. It is common knowledge that "girls mature at a younger age than boys." In fact, girls are expected to be potty trained earlier than boys are. Around the toddler years parents begin to exclude a number of games and pretend play from their children's activities. Very physical play or ones that involve guns are reserved for boys. If girls are allowed to participate, they are not permitted to actually use the guns; their involvement in the game is limited to be spectators. For girls, dolls and dishes substitute trains, construction equipment, war toys, and action adventure heroes, which belong in the boy's world.
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