Genderless Baby

Holy cow, so have you heard about the couple in Toronto who have decided not to tell anyone (other than the baby's siblings and some close family) what the gender of their youngest child is? The baby's name is Storm and the parents don't want to impose gender related constrictions on their kids, but rather allow to them to develop as long as they can without the imposition of gender stereotypes. Hmmmm. Anyway, they have really pissed a whole lot of people off. But honestly, what is the big deal? They have just gone about it in a more public, more purposeful way than most parents. As anyone who has ever been a parent can pretty much tell you, it is absolutely fascinating to watch your babies develop. And I have always found one of THE most fascinating aspects of kids development is how they seem to instinctively gravitate to certain toys that are gender specific. I myself am not what I would consider a girly girl, and was a real tomboy as a kid. So when I found myself at home with three little girls of my own, I did not shower them with dolls, or dress them in ribbons and bows. I did not paint their rooms pink. In fact, if it had not been for grandparents and aunties, there may not ever have been a dollie of any kind in the house. What I'm saying is that my kids had plenty of non gender specific toys to play with, shows to watch, books to read and so on. And yet what did they all love in the end? The so called girl toys. It was like some kind of karmic payback for me - I used to torture my sister's Barbies in all sorts of nasty and creative ways, and now I had to learn how to put dresses and shoes on them, without the aid of hot glue or staples. I watched my girls pick up baby dolls and rock them, and feed them bottles before they could even walk. This is not to say that only girls are capable of such nurturing acts. I am married to a man who has endless patience with his daughters, changed a million diapers, and played dolls with them whenever requested. But Barbie was not the only thing the girls played with. They loved to play in the dirt, pick up worms, and chase a ball. But despite being pretty well rounded, they were most definitely female in their souls. What does that mean? Should we all encourage a genderless world and just let the chips fall where they may, let our children "choose" their disposition? Because in the end, they are either boys or girls. Penis, or vagina. I don't think what the parents of baby Storm are doing is so awful really, or so different from what many of us parents out there have already done. It's like forcing someone who is left handed to write with their right hand, which is what we used to do. Now, we watch to see which hand our child chooses, and then let them go with it. Granted, choosing your own gender "disposition", as I seem to be calling it, certainly could have much more complicated future ramifications for your child than being a lefty vs. a righty in a mostly righty world. But then isn't it our job as parents to help to guide our children, help them make decisions for themselves, and do what we can to support them in becoming good people who can eventually go out and contribute positively to society and lead happy fulfilled lives?
Anyway. Ultimately I believe that regardless of parental intervention most kids will go their own way, make up their own minds about who they are, and what they like etc. All we can hope is that we've instilled some good stuff in there somewhere before they stop listening to us. I think that all those people who are outraged at what baby Storm's parents have chosen to do should just chill out, and worry about their own families, and their own choices. There are many different ways in this world to raise a child, and in the end, there is no one right way. As long as your child and your family is thriving in a positive manner that isn't causing harm to anyone else, I say go for it. There are a lot worse things out there to worry about.
Baby raised without 'gender' sets off debate - CTV News