Reversing The Stereotypes

In our household, we try hard not to fall into the standard stereotypes.  Though I go to the office and B stays home, I do the cooking when I get home.  I’m also generally in charge of the vacuum.  B, on the other hand, is more of a sports fan than I am.

This has rubbed off on our boys.  JSL, recently, wanted a baby doll.  We didn’t question a boy playing with a doll.  After all, NHL has one already.  However, much as we searched, we couldn’t find a boy baby for him.  Frustrated, we railed against the toy companies for thinking that only girls want to play with dolls and then only with girl ones.

Finally, JSL pointed out to us that it didn’t have to be a boy doll.  He could get a girl doll.  It was nice to see that he didn’t see anything wrong with a boy playing with a baby girl.  (In part, he sees it as a replacement for the baby sister that we’re not giving him.)

Of course, this doesn’t mean that JSL is immune from stereotyping.  During Yom Kippur, I was fasting and so didn’t feel up to making dinner.  B volunteered to make some food, but JSL protested.  He insisted that she couldn’t because she didn’t know how to cook.

Yes, because I’m usually the one who makes the food, JSL now thinks that B is incapable of cooking at all.  The stereotype was reversed: Dads cook and Moms don’t.  We informed him that this wasn’t the case and B made dinner.  Still, it was quite funny to us to see the stereotype turned on its head.

What stereotypes do you break in your household?