Our pediatrician made a quip once about a family that came in and said "Our girl only plays with the dolls and our boy only plays with the trucks" despite the parents doing the whole "gender neutral toys" thing.
And her response was, "Yes, duh, that's what little boys and girls do"
My experience is that it's good not to limit what your children are exposed to or have available, but don't be surprised at all if they fit nearly every stereotype regarding boys vs girls.
So the pediatrician was basically implying that saying that trucks are for boys and dolls for girls is a construct of a part of society trying to reproduce its politically charged gender roles is a construct of a part of society trying to reproduce its politically charged gender roles?
I think the problem here is that some people made the fire burn so bright that it's impossible to even talk about the issue without fanning the flames.
Our pediatrician made a quip once about a family that came in and said "Our girl only plays with the dolls and our boy only plays with the trucks" despite the parents doing the whole "gender neutral toys" thing.
And her response was, "Yes, duh, that's what little boys and girls do"
My experience is that it's good not to limit what your children are exposed to or have available, but don't be surprised at all if they fit nearly every stereotype regarding boys vs girls.