Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue: How to Raise Your Kids Free of Gender Stereotypes

Outlines psychology-based strategies for focusing on a child's unique strengths rather than on gender expectations, counseling parents of infants through middle schoolers on how to avoid cultural inclinations that limit a child's potential. Original. 10,000 first printing.
Outlines psychology-based strategies for focusing on a child's unique strengths rather than on gender expectations, counseling parents on how to avoid cultural inclinations that limit a child's potential.
Reliance on Gendered Stereotypes Negatively Impacts KidsStudies on gender and child development show that, on average, parents talk less to baby boys and are less likely to use numbers when speaking to little girls. Without meaning to, we constantly color-code children, segregating them by gender based on their presumed interests. Our social dependence on these norms has far-reaching effects, such as leading girls to dislike math or increasing aggression in boys.In this practical guide, developmental psychologist (and mother of two) Christia Spears Brown uses science-based research to show how over-dependence on gender can limit kids, making it harder for them to develop into unique individuals. With a humorous, fresh, and accessible perspective, Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue addresses all the issues that contemporary parents should consider---from gender-segregated birthday parties and schools to sports, sexualization, and emotional intelligence. This guide empowers parents to help kids break out of pink and blue boxes to become their authentic selves."Practical and research-based, Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue is a terrific guide for parents who want to do the best for both their sons and daughters."-Lise Eliot, PhD, author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain"Whether you are a parent who believes that boys and girls are `just different' or a parent who believes that gender differences are all `just culture', you will find valuable science and advice in Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue."-Lynn S. Liben, distinguished professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University