Gender roles and gender toys

I saw this picture on a friend's Facebook page earlier this week.  It really says a lot about some people's ideas of gender roles, even at a really early age.  There is this idea that only girls can play with baby dolls and Barbies, and boys should be playing with cars, tools, sports' balls, and even guns (Nerf for example).  My dad would back this up 100%.  If he ever saw my son wearing pink, I'm sure he would ask him to have his clothes changed.  I'm not that way, though. The way I see it, if my son is happy, then I am happy, too.  Maybe it is a generational thing...

 I've seen pictures of my son at daycare dressed in glittery, frilly dresses, and I've seen him covered in dirt while playing with dump trucks outside.  I feel that children shouldn't be subjected to these gender roles at such a young age. They'll get it enough when they are older; they should maintain their innocence as long as they can...

Camo Culture Gift Ideas

On Thanksgiving, my husband's family decided it was time to draw names for Christmas gifts.  Instead of buying gifts this year, we are supposed to make them.  I knew this a while ago, so I've been pinning things on Pinterest as I came across ideas that would work for some of my in-laws.  Most of these gifts I pinned worked well for my sister-in-laws and my brother-in-laws. I didn't really think I'd end up pulling a nephew's name, which is exactly what I did.  This nephew has only a few interests: Monster energy drinks, hunting, and hunting (yes, I put that on there twice for a reason).  This is a culture I know very little about.  When I think of hunting, I think of cold mornings, long hours of sitting, and camouflage clothing.   I know there is more to this culture, but this is what I know about it.

This is where I turn to you: readers who may be a part of this culture or understand it better than me.  Some ideas I have come up with for things I could make include fleece scarf, duct tape tote bag, munchie mixes and cookies.  What might I be missing? 

Guys with Kids

One of this fall's new shows that I am really enjoying is called Guys with Kids.   There were a couple things that really intrigued me about this new show: Jimmy Fallon created it and it is about people my age raising kids in modern times.  There are some pretty good examples of non-stereotypical gender roles in this show, too. For example, one of the dads, Gary, is a stay-at-home-dad raising four boys, two of which are twins.  This goes against what we typically expect as a society.  There are quite a few episodes that play on this exception, like when Gary demands a day off, and his wife stays home with the kids all day; that is quite a disaster on both ends.

 Here is another example, where he and his friends are talking about different parenting styles. Some go along with our culturally accepted gender roles, and some go against them.

Zumba

Last week I tried something new at the gym: Zumba.  It is something that I've wanted to try for a while, but each time I attempted to go in the past, I either chickened out or the class was canceled. 

Not sure what Zumba is, go here: Zumba

The class itself was really small, maybe eight other women were there, and I was the youngest one.  Once the music started going, I got a lot more comfortable.  The thing I observed, though, was that the instructor used very little verbal communication.  To get our attention, she used sounds like slaps and whistles. For example, to let us know we would begin kicking or stepping forward, she would slap the thigh of the one we should lead out with.  If we were going to begin a new motion, she would whistle, so we would look at her and follow along with the change.  If she felt like someone, or the class as a whole, wasn't given enough energy, she would mock laziness with her body posture, facial expression, and gestures.  If someone was doing things really well, she would whistle, point at her, and give her a thumbs up.  She was able to help the class without ever saying a word.  It was really neat because she never interrupted the music, which was good for me.  I don't have the best rhythm or coordination, so the less distraction, the better for me. 

Source: http://tipsfor2012andbeyond.blogspot.com/2012_05_01_archive.html

Coffee Confession

Today was the first day of second quarter's Interpersonal Communication class.  We completed the same verbal/nonverbal tennis ball activity as last quarter and with similar instructions. Before starting, though, everyone had to share his/her name and something about his/her day so far.  I shared that I had some delicious buttered rum (flavored) coffee this morning.  I realized, based on the facial expressions and snickers by some, that not everyone was aware of what buttered rum was/is.  I realized that the way students perceived me may have changed, and not for the better.  Later in class I brought up the situation and clarified that there was no rum or alcohol in buttered rum flavored coffee; buttered rum flavoring is much like butterscotch, but just a little richer.  There were a few students who nodded in agreement, but it was clear to me that a handful of students had never heard of it before.  What a first impression I must of made to those who thought I would actually put rum in my morning coffee!  It really makes me wonder what perception students have of me...

Image courtesy of: http://www.candyfavorites.com/candy/mints-and-breath-fresheners/lifesavers