coloring outside the lines

("Oil Pan" 2003 Kodak VS E100 slide film)
I do not want to raise my daughter to think that she has to act like a girl. Because that is what it is - an act. Why is it that little boys get to wear bold and colorful clothes with dinosaurs, solar systems and trucks while girls are expected to simper in delicate pastel outfits that say things like "future princess"? Did anyone ever think that maybe girls like color and machinery and have aspirations to be firefighters or construction workers. The same goes for boys - did anyone ever stop to ask little Billy if he might like to take dance lessons or play with kittens?

Little boys ask for Barbies and rarely get them - their ignorant parents think it will make them gay. Girls are praised for being beautiful, well-behaved and helpful while boys are lauded for their intelligence and physical aptitude. While its true that boys are typically more spatially coordinated and girls possess more emotional intelligence that does not mean that other abilities should not be fostered to the same degree. I want my daughter to be strong, confident, beautiful, smart and sweet - i don't think that is impossible.

When a girl is constantly told how pretty she is she grows up believing her physical appearance is her greatest asset. Of course i want my daughter to be attractive - but that should not be her life's ambition. I guess i am annoyed because i look at what sort of toys, clothing and games are geared towards either male or female children and i think the sexism is unfair to both genders.

I vow to raise my daughter in a fairly gender neutral enviroment. I will not teach her to be "ladylike" - i will raise her to be polite and compassionate, the same as i would instruct a son. This is not to say that she will not wear pink dresses or play with dolls, but i want her to know there are other options out there. It's all about balance.