| No Images? Click here  I recently watched the new film, “A Kid Like Jake.” It stars Claire Danes and Jim Parsons as New York City parents whose 4-year-old son, Jake, is exploring his gender identity. He’s into princesses and dress up, which his mother (played by Danes) encourages wholeheartedly. The film follows the parents as they apply to kindergartens for Jake, and examines how they handle the admissions process and whether to exploit their son’s gender expansiveness in the applications.It’s an interesting — if not great — film because it speaks to what happens when progressive parents who talk the talk have to walk the walk. Much like other kids his age, my own 5 year old is clearly exploring his identity. Yesterday, he asked me to paint his finger and toe nails with polish, which I did, and then, as if he wasn’t entirely sure of his decision, told me he thought he’d get made fun of by his girl friends at school. They’re sponges these kids, and they notice gender roles and dynamics so early. It’s fascinating to watch, and also heartbreaking.My son says things like “Moana” is “for girls” but in the same breath embraces nail polish and rainbows.Which bring me back to Jake. My husband and I are all for our kid’s exploration of who he is — and how that fits in (or not) in his world. But after watching “Jake” I’ve been thinking a lot about what we’d do if our kid wanted to express himself in more, let’s say, overt ways, like by wearing dresses. Would my progressive backbone bend and deal with the societal consequences, as they were? I assume yes, and, like Jake’s parents, it torments me to think about what that all means for my kid.All this is to say, we live in a place that is (on the surface) very accepting. But how would that all change if our boy wasn’t wearing shorts and playing basketball? I’m still working through what it means for my family, but I’m sure other parents are figuring out how to deal with these topics around the country and I’d love to hear your thoughts, either from experience or not. You can reach me anytime at katea@huffpost.com.LOL  I hope all the dads had a wonderful Father’s Day. As my belated gift to you, perhaps you’ll appreciate these 41 comics about your life now that you’re a father?
For when your kid is keeping you awake This piece might be a few weeks old, but it has loads of good information for parents of boys. The New York Times’ David McGlynn writes about raising boys now — and, in particular, little things you can do and say along the way to make them understand gender dynamics better.  More stories from the trenches:  HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More.A guide to helping you raise the kind of person you'd like to know. Love what you see? Send it to a friend. Did someone forward this email? If so, subscribe here. Can't get enough? Check out (In)formation and The Good Life. |
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