One stereotype is that boys think gross and violent stuff is funny. I know that when Isaac enters elementary school, he and his buddies will feel compelled to adhere to this stereotype, and that's just fine.
But where do these stereotypes initially come from? Isaac, otherwise a sensitive and aesthetic child, is already showing an affinity for the gross and violent. He doesn't watch television or movies, so he's not exposed to the media, and he doesn't have biased books or toys. Perhaps all children like gross stuff, but girls are actively discouraged from expressing their interest?
At any rate, here are three of his recent jokes. In every case, the punchline was delivered with a wicked grin.
Isaac: Would you like a cup of mucus?
Mama: No, thank you.
Isaac: Would you like a cup of skunk mucus?
Isaac: I'm going to smash the old cars with a monster truck.
Mama: Oh, yes?
Isaac: I'm going to smash them with a pickaxe!
Isaac: What are those red things?
Mama: It's cherry vanilla ice cream, so they're cherries.
Isaac: Are they blood?
How do I respond? With amused disgust, just like he wants.
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You might ask how he even knows about monster trucks if he's such a media innocent. Well, we looked up pictures of monster trucks on Google Images, and most of them are smashing cars. Hey, at least it wasn't YouTube.
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He actually seems a little concerned about the superficial gender roles he has noticed. Several times he has asked, "Why do mostly women and girls wear tights?" Perhaps it doesn't seem fair to him that men and boys are excluded? But I let him put on my lip gloss when he asks, although I do point out that it's mostly women and big girls who wear makeup.
As far as more damaging gender roles, he still accepts it when we tell him that women can work at any job, although he'll soon realize that real-world examples of female construction workers and truck drivers are few (politicians and CEOs will come later). Thankfully he has a wonderful example right at home demonstrating that fathers can take good care of children.
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