Gender stereotyping can impact a child’s self-concept, says teacher

Boys and girls part of Family Space Quinte Inc.’s learning program often use nature as part of their learning development. Photo by Ginny Jones, Family Space Quinte Inc.

By Rachel Stark

BELLEVILLE – Although dressing a boy in blue and a girl in pink may be a harmless act, it is also the start of imposing gender stereotypes on children at a young age, according to early childhood educator Jennifer deGroot.

Gender stereotypes from a child’s perspective can be influenced by clothing, toys, costumes and daily occurrences, impacting what children associate with a particular gender, either boys or girls.

DeGroot, the coordinator of Loyalist College’s Early Childhood Education Program, said when children reach grade school they start to show the impacts of stereotyping, starting with the types of toys they play with leading to teasing another boy or girl for not fitting a stereotype.

“It can really affect their own self-concept later in life and give them limitations they shouldn’t have,” she said.

For this reason, parenting programs in Belleville try to prevent gender stereotyping as well.

Julie Hickey, an early years facilitator for the organization Family Space Quinte, tries to create an environment where a child’s learning can develop without them questioning limitations due to their gender.

To help achieve this, gender specific toys like dolls are not used in the organization’s programs.

“Instead we use a lot of what we call open-ended toys, such as blocks, fabric and sticks,” Hickey said.

To apply gender-neutral concepts, the programs encourage boys and girls to participate in the same activities, such as using their play kitchen.

Mary Mask, executive director of Abigail’s Learning Centre Inc. in Belleville, said its programs teach parents how to be gender-neutral through modelling the idea in everyday conversation to their children.

“Stereotyping is shown through small comments and actions, so we have to make sure the parents understand what they’re teaching,” said Mask.

The question of where these initial stereotypes come from is most often found in advertisements and consumerism directed towards children, according to Mask.

“Although there is now more of an awareness, the media still pushes gender stereotyping to help sell products,” she said.

Belleville parent Lindsey Anderson, however said she does not feel pressured to buy products aimed specifically towards boys for her four-year-old son.

“He loves trains and cars, but he also likes to pretend he’s a hair stylist,” she said.

When choosing a stuffed animal, Anderson said her son will also always choose a pink one over blue.

“I never grew up having gender stereotypes forced upon me and because of that, I find that I don’t force them on my son,” she said, “I should be reinforcing these habits for his dreams.”

When the educators at Family Space Quinte see children beginning to display gender stereotypes, the child will be asked to think about their reasoning.

“It gets the conversation going and the children realize there is no right answer, which helps teach them what’s wrong,” said Hickey.