As much as people want to scream about equality, I've got to say that raising twins has opened my eyes. I don't know what it is, but there seems to be something ingrained in the way boys and girls are internally wired. I don't doubt that my own socialization may have subconsciously influenced the way I am interacting with Emma and Andrew, but I am probably one of the few people who could really care less if Andrew plays with dolls and Emma plays with her balls (Bouncing balls, people! Bouncing balls!).
We have baskets of toys, and we never told the kids to play with one type of toy or another. But Andrew gravitated towards cars and Emma gravitated towards dolls. There are of course times when Andrew is pushing around Emma's baby doll in the stroller, and Emma is pushing Andrew's race cars around the floor, but they each have this uncanny knowledge of knowing what toy is theirs already.
This generalization of what a boy and girl is also carries over into behavior. Andrew is this little Energizer rabbit that keeps on going, and Emma can sit quietly reading a book or playing with her dolls in between her bouts of anger and rage (I can't WAIT until the teenage years).
For example, I noticed during dinner that Emma and Andrew were eating their slices of oranges quite differently. So as usual, I grabbed my camcorder and videotaped this little gender goodie...
1 comment:
HILARIOUS VIDEO!!!!!! Great job!!! And that is so interesting about the toy basket. How they gravitate toward a certain thing. And yes, girls are great at sitting and playing quietly!
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