In our center we have had several situations where parents
expressed concerns when their son would play in the dramatic play area. In particular they took issue with their son
dressing up in dresses. We would talk with the parents about how engaging in
dramatic play, no matter how they do it, is an opportunity to expand on their
learning and development. By reenacting,
they are making sense of the world around them.
These situations reminded me about the mother in the video who struggled
with buying her son a baby doll; and I agree that playing with the doll was a
way for him to practice being a great father, should he choose to become a father.
This past winter I heard a lot about Goldie Blox, toys designed to
encourage girls to build. I think this
is wonderful idea, but reinforces how we establish gender through something as
simple as color. I agree that these type of toys should be made in the different colors of red, blue, light blue, and pink; but we should offer all these colors in one product.
Encouraging girl’s interest in the sciences is a positive thing, but as you state assigning the materials a certain color is a step backward. The focus should be on making them available to all children. Anti-using an anti-bias curriculum is a step in the right direction.
ReplyDelete“Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries have a gender-gap issue, and aerospace is not immune”
Following is the link to a story about girls who are making a difference in the aerospace industry.
http://news.msn.com/in-depth/meet-the-group-of-girls-who-want-to-change-the-male-dominated-aerospace-industry