Gender Neutral Children

In recent years, more and more parents have chosen to raise their children in a manner that masks their gender until they are old enough to decide for themselves. One way parents do this is by allowing their child to wear whatever he choses to wear. Some days, this is a skirt, and other days it is a t shirt and shorts. Parents also allowed their children to play with whichever toys they picked up. For example, a child could play with super hero action figures or barbie dolls. The purpose of this is so the child is brought up choosing who he/she wants to be without society putting stereotypes on who they should be. Many parents are able to mask the gender of their child up until they start school around age 5. At this point, it is next to impossible for the child to be kept in the dark any longer due to the presence of other children, as well as gender separated bathrooms. Psychologists have differing views on the practice. Some, like Dr Daragh McDermott claim that it is very difficult to predict the long term effects of such an upbringing. McDermott suggests that there is not enough long term evidence to suggest one way or another what effects this type of parenting will have on a child. Other scientists, however, have differing opinions. Dr Harold Koplewicz, a U.S. child psychiatrist was appalled by the practice. Kopelewicz insisted that when children are born they are not a blank slate. He claims that there is a reason that baby boys behave a certain way and baby girl behave another.  Personally, I do not worry about the biology of the child, rather than the difficulties he/she will have integrating with other children. Young kids can be very cruel without understanding of the feelings of others, and a child who wears a skirt is a prime target to be bullied in schools. In a perfect world, maybe this practice does work, but it is very difficult to integrate this behavior into present day primary school systems.