Why My Son Will Not be Boxed In

"If my son wants to be a princess for Halloween, I promise you this; he will be the most amazing princess you have ever seen." (unanimous parent regarding son wanting to dress as princess for Halloween)

I am the proud mommy of an adorable two-year-old boy and from the moment that I found out I was having a little boy, gender-ideas, gender-specific toys and clothing, and gender-related questions and advice came blazing in from friends, family, and sometimes even strangers like wild-fire.

According to psychologist Elaine Aron, PhD, gender is one of the earliest expectations parents have for their children.  Children do not have to be schooled in what to like or how they should act, they simply internalize the millions of messages from toys, clothing, media, advertisements, and role models around them.

What is a parent to do?  I do not have an exact plan, but I do have a couple ideas that I would like to share.  I promise to present my son with a range of toys, movies, and activities and allow him to choose what he likes. Also, I would like to think that I am creating an environment for my son that allows for him to "just be a kid" nothing more, nothing less.  Time to play, create, explore, make mistakes; without judgement.