Before I had children I was a person. I had brain power and often could be found doing nothing in particular staring into the middle-distance.
At this point in my life I was receiving an “education” at university in philosophy and sociology. Oh what fun we had, dissecting the nuances of human behaviour. How we knew it all. Racism, fascism, sexism, islamophobia, homophobia, the sociology of disability and gender and human right laws juxtaposed with ideas that we weren’t really here and we were all brains in vats. And you wonder why I’m nuts? It was a course requirement!
Anyway. It was a commonly accepted truism that gender is fashioned out of the norms of socialisation. Gender was constructed and enforced. The big clever scientist men had shown us this. Grrr. Bad society! Bad society, who made sure the big White Man got his, and who bolstered his ruling class ideology with force against women, wogs and marginalised gyspies alike. Down with socialisation and rah rah rah to those pulling down the wall from the inside.
Etc etc.
And then I had kids and three years of work was ripped to buggery and flushed down the loo.
I no more constructed my boys’ behaviour than I created the testosterone that runs through their veins. And it never ceases to amaze, yes amaze me when without prompting they pull boy behaviour readily out of the bag.
So far – they have conquered wheelies and are attempting maneuvers with ramps on their bikes, and are trying to kill me with death-defying stunts on skateboards.
The need to go faster, higher, bigger, badder, better than every other male in the world universe, ever, constantly drives them onwards… and upwards… conquering themselves and the space around them.
And I just whimper behind my girly hands and thank God for crash helmets…
Hoping for more skateboard-friendly weather – Jumah mubarak and enjoy your weekend!
xx
uh-oh – I have a boy…
Be afraid. Be very afraid…
Yes, they are different to girls, much though people try to deny it! Not worse than, or harder than, or cleverer or more stupid than…. just different, for sure.
Very 😐
Is that really Boss? , feet seem to be the same size as my ten year old mashAllah. InshAllah he’ll be a tall lad.