From early childhood, children are encouraged by many parents and a large part of society to follow cultural patterns of life. We can observe different abilities and preferences of boys and girls, but many aspects are taught and reinforced by family and cultural patterns. Nothing prevents a child from naturally liking something related to the opposite sex. Family members and the environment in which the child lives can influence the concept that “boys have to do boy things” and “girls have to do girl things”.
Within the school environment, it is important not to instill stereotypes. According to the director of Colégio Itatiaia, a preschool in the Aclimação neighborhood of São Paulo, Priscila Manetta, it is extremely important to treat all children as unique, with individual needs and experiences regardless of their gender and personal preferences. “We do not reinforce behavioral patterns that separate individuals, such as boys playing with balls and girls playing with rope. Boys and girls should be respected in their individuality regardless of their behavior.”
The coordinator also emphasizes that children are producers of culture and collective construction is part of the learning process, bringing to the school environment the culture acquired from family members and the society that surrounds them. “It is very difficult to change an entire culture, we can even see that in stores the toys are separated, girls on one side and boys on the other. We can see that the colors of the packaging are usually very different: pink and lilac for girls, green and blue for boys. Games are influential, but they are not necessarily decisive for the future or choices of children,” comments Priscila.
Biologically, the feminine and masculine are expressed in different ways, since men and women have genes and hormones in different quantities, dictating particularities of each gender and different behaviors. But this factor does not prove that girls have to wear pink and boys blue.
It is important for parents to understand that when a child is interested in toys that “are” of the opposite sex, they cannot be punished or repressed for behavior that they do not even understand as right or wrong. This type of action is very common during childhood and, often, the child shows curiosity about the toy or establishes emotional relationships, such as a boy picking up a doll because he has just had a new sibling or a girl playing with a toy car because it reminds her of a fun outing with the family.
At school, toys, games and play should not be separated (boys and girls) and it is up to the institutions to allow children to come into contact with different types of toys to help them create. “In this way, parents and schools invest in meaningful education, without prejudice, developing skills and working on competencies”, concludes Priscila.
