Ever since the beginning, acceptable behavioral patterns of children have been determined by their gender. Girls are taught to play with dolls and more “feminine” toys therefore developing and preparing their mothering skills for their future lives. Boys on the other hand play with cars, toy trains, or things that actually require some logic. Girls are expected to wear pinks and purples while boys stick to blues and greens. Everything is predetermined.

In reality what kind of message are we sending to these children? That boys will grow up to be men and have careers while girls will stay home and raise the family? How is this a fair or even accurate depiction of how society should be based? Girls do not necessarily have to grow up to be stay-at-home moms or simply women in menial jobs. Women can amount to something and have an impact on society and the business world.

Yet with that said, how is it that we are not teaching this to our children? If all they learn in life are these gender specific roles, how will they ever break free of them? How can we look at children and wonder why they have no ambition to amount to something more when these guidelines for their future are being shoved down their throats at such a young age?

So what can we do? We need to show young children that they can be whatever they want to be in life, not just what society wants them to be. We need to teach kids to break out of these oppressive stereotypes and think for themselves for a change. They need to play with the toys they want to play with, take part in the activities that suit them not their gender.Due to the fact that children learn through example, if children are taught and understand that they can be what they want to be and do what they want to do, then they are more likely to follow their dreams and do what they were made for. And if children follow their dreams, then this world will become a more positive place. People will be more satisfied in their lives and be happy with what they do. So are gender roles in children and society in general really as meaningless and unimportant as they may seem?