How Are Gender Stereotypes Influencing Your Parenting?
08/12/20 • 18 min
Girls in sparkly, pink dresses. Boys crazy about anything with wheels. Gender differences are everywhere. It’s difficult not to see those differences and then attribute them to something that is hardwired at birth, but neuroscience shows that there is very little difference between boys’ and girls’ brains.
Host Jessica Rolph welcomes Dr. Lise Eliot to this episode. She is a professor of neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School and the author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps — and What We Can Do About It. Lise and Jessica explore ways we, as parents, can help break down damaging gender stereotypes.
Key Takeaways:
[1:12] How do boys’ and girls’ brains differ?
[3:22] How should we think about gender stereotypes? Why is it important to avoid them?
[4:30] Lise talks about the trends she has noticed in parenting both genders.
[5:53] Do mothers talk more to preschool-aged daughters than sons?
[9:17] Lise talks about how to raise children who can fully express themselves by not discouraging what could be considered gender-inappropriate play.
[11:23] What should parents do about a relative or caregiver who is showing disapproval of their boy’s interest in princesses and “girl stuff”? How can parents explain their philosophy to that person?
[13:11] Toddlers are naturally interested in categorizing; what is the reason for that?
[15:27] Lise talks about dressing our boys and girls.
[17:23 ] Jessica shares her takeaways from the conversation with Lise.
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Lovevery.com
Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps--and What We Can Do About It, Dr. Lise Eliot
What's Going on in There?: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, Dr. Lise Eliot
Girls in sparkly, pink dresses. Boys crazy about anything with wheels. Gender differences are everywhere. It’s difficult not to see those differences and then attribute them to something that is hardwired at birth, but neuroscience shows that there is very little difference between boys’ and girls’ brains.
Host Jessica Rolph welcomes Dr. Lise Eliot to this episode. She is a professor of neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School and the author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps — and What We Can Do About It. Lise and Jessica explore ways we, as parents, can help break down damaging gender stereotypes.
Key Takeaways:
[1:12] How do boys’ and girls’ brains differ?
[3:22] How should we think about gender stereotypes? Why is it important to avoid them?
[4:30] Lise talks about the trends she has noticed in parenting both genders.
[5:53] Do mothers talk more to preschool-aged daughters than sons?
[9:17] Lise talks about how to raise children who can fully express themselves by not discouraging what could be considered gender-inappropriate play.
[11:23] What should parents do about a relative or caregiver who is showing disapproval of their boy’s interest in princesses and “girl stuff”? How can parents explain their philosophy to that person?
[13:11] Toddlers are naturally interested in categorizing; what is the reason for that?
[15:27] Lise talks about dressing our boys and girls.
[17:23 ] Jessica shares her takeaways from the conversation with Lise.
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Lovevery.com
Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps--and What We Can Do About It, Dr. Lise Eliot
What's Going on in There?: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, Dr. Lise Eliot
Previous Episode
Why Teach Sign Language to Your Baby
Babies' understanding of language comes well before their ability to speak. This also can be the case with their motor skills. Most babies will wave bye-bye before they can say the words. These are a few of the reasons signing works well for babies. It gives them another means of communicating. Plus research shows that babies who learn basic sign language develop pathways for communication sooner than they would otherwise.
Jessica Rolph welcomes Joy Jackson (@lyric_laughter_learning) to today’s episode. She has been using sign language with her daughter from the time she was 4 months old. Joy shares why she chose to teach her sign language and how this has enhanced her communication skills.
Key Takeaways:
[1:16] Joy explains why she taught herself sign language in order to share it with her daughter.
[4:12] Joy started teaching Lyric sign language at 4 months old. When did Lyric start using signs?
[5:19] Is there any benefit to teaching sign language to verbal children?
[6:08] What are some common misconceptions about sign language and teaching babies sign language?
[8:15] Joy talks about the difference between baby sign language and ASL.
[9:29] If a parent is just going to use six or seven signs, what are some particularly useful ones?
[10:42] How many signs did Joy’s baby have when she was 1 year old? What can parents expect?
[11:50] Is a baby who can sign considered bilingual?
[13:02] How and why to teach emotion signs.
[14:25] Some great reasons to invest the time necessary to teach our babies and young children sign language.
[16:43] Jessica’s takeaways of today’s show.
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Lovevery.com
Joy’s Instagram: @lyric_laughter_learning
Next Episode
The Benefits of Unstructured Play
With opportunities for social interaction outside the family in short supply, many parents are stepping in as their child’s primary playmate. Is one way of playing better than another? In this episode with Dr. Shimi Kang, host Jessica Rolph explores the benefits of unstructured play and looks at how play prepares us for adulthood.
Dr. Kang is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and best selling author. She is the author of The Dolphin Parent: A guide to Raise Healthy, Happy and Self-Motivated Kids, and her newest book The Tech Solution: Creating Healthy Habits for Kids Growing Up in a Digital World.
Key Takeaways:
[1:35] How did Shimi’s upbringing inform her work around play?
[3:17] Why is play such an important piece of childhood from a research perspective?
[6:10] We are hardwired to play.
[6:36] Shimi discusses a fascinating study that involves rats — play is crucial to their survival.
[7:50] How does play help children adapt to stress and emotionally process new experiences?
[9:18] Shimi explains the difference between free play and guided play. Why might parents want to emphasize one approach over the other?
[11:19] Why toddlers benefit from unstructured activities.
[13:04] How can we tell if our toddlers are over-stimulated or overwhelmed?
[14:45] How much should parents get down on the floor with their children, or should parents play the role of observer?
[15:48] Do children need their parents to help scaffold pretend play?
[17:26] Tips for parents who want to give their children more freedom to play.
[18:55] The challenges of being mindful of technology and how it is impacting parents’ relationships with their children.
[21:03] Jessica shares her takeaways from the conversation.
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Lovevery.com
Learn more about Dr. Shimi Kang
The Dolphin Parent: A guide to Raise Healthy, Happy and Self-Motivated Kids, Dr. Shimi Kang
The Tech Solution: Creating Healthy Habits for Kids Growing Up in a Digital World, Dr. Shimi Kang
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