Little boys should not be taught specifically not to hit girls

Girls (children) that played like boys used to be called Tom Boys. Then, and even now, many parents raise a girl to eventually be a modern women. That means she plays with dolls, values non-roughhouse play, and bonds with other girls predominantly. Similarly, many parents, then and now, raise a boy to eventually be a modern male. That means he plays with trucks, might engage in roughhouse play, and bonds with other boys predominantly.

If we were so unisexual, we would see many girls on skateboards. Oddly, in NYC, I rarely see a young lady on a skateboard. Perhaps, she realizes that it will one day be hard to get a date if her limbs don't function that well, as an older teenager, due to a skateboard accident?

We have a sexual division in society, possibly reflecting the hope of parents for their boy or girl to one day take on a role that makes them grandparents of biological grandchildren?

I do not see many mothers or fathers not soothing a little girl's crying, due to a scraped knee. While these same parents might tell a son to stop crying, since it does not hurt that much.

I think we are stuck with gender roles, and to thwart that fact, with a child, is just possibly planting the seed of making a child a misfit amongst his or her peers.

Thank goodness we do not have to draft women into the military, like a particular country in the Middle East, due to the possibility of an existential war in the future. Meaning, isn't it nice that we have the luxery to have many men enjoy the world of men, and women enjoy the world of women, starting in childhood, even if some men like to knit, and some women like to play softball? But, it is not mandatory, and that is the beauty of our society.

P.S. I have read that the current American Psychological Association's DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual that defines all syndromes) only designates homosexuality as "gender confusion." The old pejorative definition of homosexuality is gone, but note that gender confusion is still thought of as a reality that can color one's life obviously quite well.

"aww, baby, why you treat me so bad?"

That's wisdom straight out of Dennis the Menace. "Never hit a girl. They hit back".

She's just wants him to know how much she likes him

If little girls are then raised to protect themselves from little boys, I do not believe it will stop there. Some little girls will go beyond the usual catty talk about other girls, and start to physically bully other girls. The behavior would not necessarily stop at any specific age, and all we would have is tough girls intimidating young ladies that were brought up to be feminine. That is good?

In my opinion, it would just reflect the devolution of western social mores.

I'm trying to absorb this point of view, having a hard time.

This is already way out of date.

An increasing problem in girls' sports is that the girls don't indicate when they're hurt, and play through major pain, and end up getting injured worse.

Even at my kid's level (she's 11) there's very little crying, and when there is it tends to be either 1) that one girl who's constantly flopping in basketball, trying to get the call, which she doesn't because everyone sees through her or 2) something REALLY serious, like a broken bone.

Please don't extrapolate that one paradigm functions throughout society. You are correct for those girls that do, for whatever reason, participate in sports, etc.; however, there are segments of society where girls are supposed to grow up to have a certain persona. Remember, there are Muslim women in the U.S. today, whose families might want them to grow up to be wives and mothers, without the experience of school sports.

Show me a girl that knows the meaning of "demure," and in my opinion, I'll show you a girl that will have a greater chance to have a happy marriage. In effect, the greater physicalness of some females today, in my opinion, is a continuum of their greater vocal combativeness across all classes of society. Meaning, I have to wonder how many women value an identity of "being a lady"? I understand that "gentleman" seems to be an identity from a bygone era, but I've noticed that women still appreciate having a door held for them. A double standard?

I live in an area with a lot of Muslims. My 12 yr old niece plays on a soccer team, a full 3rd of the team are Muslim girls, some play with the hijab, some don't. One of the girl's father is a co-coach.
There is nothing unfeminine about girls playing sport. Nor is there a problem with a female who can defend herself. There is something pathetic about a woman who wont. All children should know when it's right to strike another human/animal and when it's not.

This horrible gender discrimination is usually perpetrated by men. Women usually treat kids in a gender-neutral manner.



This is why I don't want to have kids. I don't want my potential children being victimized by society's gender stereotypes.

What a cruel little girl. I feel so sorry for the little boy.

Oh really? Just imagine the reaction if the genders in that video were reversed. No one should hit anyone.

Little guy will no doubt be scarred for life!

I've been around plenty of wee kids. These two are typical and if the camera was on for a few more minutes you would have probably watched the boy do the same.
Kids at this age are kinda sexless. They have barely learned to navigate standing up, it's a pretty tall order to expect they understand the niceties of society. Children push, pull, shove, grab, hug, bite, touch.. it how they process and learn about the world around them. This little girl isn't being cruel, she's being a little kid. Feeling out the world and learning boundaries.
This is not a case of unchecked aggression or female domination, it's a wee babe telling another babe to get out of her face. I'm sure both mommies were right around the corner, there to put the rascals on the strait and narrow and to kiss some wounded feeling....

There are fairies in Canada? They come out in daylight?

In the way of playing Devil's Advocate, perhaps there are Muslim young ladies that come from a background that is oriented towards assimilation into certain facets of western culture? Perhaps, there are others that just help the adult women prepare the evening meals?

Come to think of it, I have seen a young Muslim girl kicking a soccer ball, wearing jeans, but she had her head covered. I chalked it up to soccer being of such great popularity outside the U.S.? Do Muslim girls in Muslim countries kick soccer balls? I do not know, but since they aren't supposed to drive cars in Saudi Arabia, I thought the lives of Muslim women, in Muslim cultures might be more circumspect than non-Muslim women in western cultures?

Or, I could be all wrong!

yes.

I choose the later.

I think Foofie could read some Monica Ali. Brick Road, for starters.