Home   >   Ask the Expert   >   Question: Is Play Preference Influenced by Gender? Japanese experts give advice.

Question: Is Play Preference Influenced by Gender? Japanese experts give advice.

By on August 17, 2016

 

beach-baby-2-1383035-1024x791

❝
No. I think a child is influenced by the adults in his immediate environment. There was a study made previously where 3-year old kids were asked to draw any subject they like. The boys drew trains and automobiles using cool colors. In contrast, the girls used warm colors and drew flowers and houses.
A child starts to identify himself/herself with his/her own gender between the age of 3 and 4. However, a child’s reaction when given a toy as present depends on the role he/she has been programmed by adults in his/her immediate environment to think. This is largely due to the influence of adults exposing children to gender-based toys i.e. trains for boys or a play house for a girl.
It is important to note that children should be made to play freely without gender differences.

SakakibaraYoichi Sakakibara Pediatrician and Deputy head of
Ochanomizu University

 

 

❝ There was an experiment conducted in the United States called “Baby X”. In the experiment, some adults were introduced as a girl to a 3-month old baby dressed in yellow. The adults gave a doll to the baby. When the baby was introduced as a boy to another group of adults, they offered the baby a ball. It showed that the response of adults were based on the gender of the baby. Assigning gender roles could limit a child’s potential. It is important for parents to  instill the values of kindness, courage, and determination in both boys and girls. See the good in each and every child and emphasize human values rather than gender identity when parenting.

Masami OhinataMasami Ohinata
Keisei university Professor, Graduate School of developmental psychology)

 

 

 

Read also:  Gender-neutral parenting

About TF Tribe