Related to the Stormy on this Board?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110524/ts_yblog_thelookout/parents-keep-childs-gender-under-wraps

No !

stormy

I truly don't get the parents in this story.

I get the idea that people might treat a child differently depending on the gender, but, still, this seems a little extreme. Their ideas on non schooling are worrysome too. I see some future uneducated and confused kids.

Well, huh...

At first I wondered whether the child in question has a genetic condition.

Be interesting to see how those kids turn out in another 10-15 years...as overboard as gender coding is in our culture, they're making it so that their children will be unable to form relationships with their peers. That's not healthy, either.

It's normal and natural for children sometime between the age of 3 and 5 to start to develop strong concepts of what it means to be a girl vs. being a boy...I can't help but wonder whether those two older boys key into a lot of pressure from their parents via facial and body cues, even if a "choice" is being offered.

I wish we could go back to the days when we just didn't know until the baby got here. It was much more fun that way.

Signed,
The old fart.

At the very least, they are going to get a lot of teasing due to their choice of clothes and that cannot be good for their self confidence.

>Stocker and Witterick say the decision gives Storm the freedom to choose who he or she wants to be. "What we noticed is that parents make so many choices for their children. It's obnoxious," adds Stocker, a teacher at an alternative school.

___Of course___ parents make choices for their children. It is a part of the bloody job of being a parent, damn it! >:o||

So they think that a main part of parenting is obnoxious, do they? They are abrogating a large chunk of what it means to be a parent. A good parent, that is. As they prove, any two fools can make a baby. It takes wiser people than they are to be a good, effective parent.

Can an infant child make an informed, sensible decision? In general, no. An adult has built up a whole set of lifeskills, a child of four has not done this as they haven't lived long enough.

At first: "Because mommy/daddy says so" will suffice until longer explanations ("the cat does not always want to be picked up, that oven will hurt you if you touch it, if you run across the road to the ice cream van a car might run you over" etc) can be understood and acted upon by a child as it grows up and can understand concepts like right and wrong and painful if I do such-and-such.

They do not want children, they want test beds for their nutty, weirdo ideas.

I would send Child Protection in asap. AND launch an investigation into their 'alternative' 'school.'



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/2011 01:49AM by matt.

I think their actions are horrible. I hope in general parents don't pressure gender roles too much. I still think this extremely extreme and is going to much more harm than good. "We hid the fact that you have any gender at all" I think the kid could grow up feeling more confused and ashamed of any genderness they may someday display.

I hope they putting away alot of money for therapy. Using a defenseless child as your propaganda machine for your social theories is just cruel.

Messed in the head. What issues is Storm avoiding as a newborn by people not knowing its sex? Has he/she been asked to decide his or her career and life path? I don't think so.

I'm not sure I believe that.

I wonder what the kids will put in their autobiographies when they get a book deal.

As adults they're happy and well adjusted but they do have a few complaints about their childhood. I imagine these kids will too. On the other hand, it appears Mom and Dad are giving them food, clothing and love, which are the most important requirements. Hopefully they are also providing basic discipline so the children are learning how to make good choices and live with the consequences of their decisions. I certainly didn't see anything worth calling child protective services over.