from: Brandi
My picture is of two of the children I babysit, Kaleigh (age 2 1/2) and Conner (age 1 1/2). Kaleigh brought the vacuum over to me and I asked her to vacuum for me. She grabbed the vacuum and did a little pose, almost like saying "look at me, I can vacuum!" Then Conner saw what we were doing and he came over. I then asked him to vacuum for me. He didn't touch the vacuum, instead he did a little dance around it, almost like he didn't know what to do with it. I took the two pictures and I cropped them together showing each of them and their ideas of vacuuming. This isn't what I wanted my picture to be, but when the kids came to me I thought it was the perfect thing. Even at 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 these children know what they "should" be doing. After Conner saw Kaleigh using the vacuum he didn't touch it, and 99% of the time he does exactly what she does. Let me say that I have been around these children since birth. Next to their mother and father, these kids come to me for comfort. We have never said that boys don't clean or vacuum. But he must notice that his father doesn't touch the vacuum but mommy and Brandi do. It just amazes me, even though something isn't said, kids still pick it up.
4 comments:
That is so typical of little children: the younger one will copy everything the older one is doing regardless of gender. On the other hand, when this boy sees his sister doing a "girl-job", he is no longer interested in imitating her. It is so true that little children do not need to be told all of what is a boy's or girl's job. It is enough for them to see their parents to act that way. I wonder if the little boy had picked a lawn-mower toy and pretended he was cutting grass. Would his older sister want to try it or would she dance around it or rather pose on it? I would not be surprised if she chose the first – trying it. It seems to me that (younger) girls are bit more flexible than boys are. I've seen similar situation couple of times and the girls did not mind playing with boys toys but the boys sure did not like playing with girls toys. But this is strictly speaking: one girl - one boy situation. I have never seen this working if there were more than one of each sex. That brings up the peer-pressure of acting like "a girl" or "a boy."
Remember the part in the "Baby X" article where the twins switched their jobs? The girl mowed lawn and the boy vacuumed, and each of them was very good at this new job even though their parents did not like it. Great :)
I think this picture shows how unrealistic the idea of how the perfect amercian household is supposed to be run.Im sure no one ever told that little boy that the girl is supposed to be doing the vacuuming, but im also sure that he has rarely if ever seen daddy vacuuming.At age one and a half he automatically asscociates vacuuming as being the girls job and something that he isn't supposed to like doing.There is no reason that a man can't vacuum other than he has been taught from age one, as this picture illustrates, that it isn't his job.If he tried im sure he'd be just as good as any girl,but let's face it....he probably won't ever try.
I also babysit two small boys and the only toys they have a trains, motorcycles or things that boys are considered acceptable to play with. I believe the little girl posed because she was proud to have a responsibility that made her feel like a big girl. The little boy didn't know what to do with the vaccum and so he danced around it and like she said that the father doesn't use a vaccum either so the boy is taught that its a woman's job. And I think that's also why he seems to be laughing. But the picture looks like he enjoys playing with the vaccum as well.
I thknk this is an intersting article. I believe that kids learn from their parents conciously and sunconciously. Male children may not know what to do in that case becasue they have never seen their own father vaccum the house. Babies watch everything, they learn to do things not because they are told but by watching the adults in their life. Babies learn to walk because they see it all day, They learn to talk or make noise to be heard. These things are not things we vocally teach them, its just instinctual. So in the photo, its no surprise that the little boy didnt know what to do. The fact that he is 1 might be a reason compared to his 2 year old sister. But if youy live in a genger specific household (in terms of chores) you probably wouldnt know wnay better.
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