My son has a firetruck: gender-neutral doesn’t mean genderless
I was recently interviewed for an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about gender-neutral parenting. The response to the article included a lot of people fretting about how gender-neutral parenting supposedly “denies” a child from having a gender. Well, here’s why that’s a load of hooey.
Parenting outside the gender binary
We want Avie to feel as unrestrained by gender as possible. We began by giving him a gender-neutral name and attempting to dress him in neutral colors and patterns. As he gets older, we validate and encourage his emotions, and intend to support him in whatever interests he develops.
Creating a gender neutral nursery
When I got pregnant I knew that I wanted to give my child a gender-neutral environment to grow up in. I registered for jungle theme decorations and crib sheets. Initially my sister lived with us when my daughter was born and we were blessed to have her as our nanny for the first year. After […]
I feel neutral about gender-neutral parenting
In three years of parenthood, I have collected plenty of anecdotes to promote the philosophies of gender-neutral parenting, of raising a child devoid of gender-stereotypes. Yet I found myself questioning the very possibility of raising a child who would not form his identity, at least in part, around typical lines of pink and blue, dolls and footballs.
Gender neutral clothes & the official palette of newborns
My parents tried to raise me in relatively gender neutral clothing, and I fought it every step of the way. Mom would dress me in brown second-hand cords and yellow tshirts, only to be foiled by my paternal grandmother sending me Little House easter dresses from Sears, which I vastly preferred.