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Eithne Shortall: Let’s put our patterns of learned behaviour aside and let children be children
People’s tendency to clothe their interactions with youngsters in gender stereotypes helps no one, so we would do well to remember that childhood should be about fun – not their wardrobe
A couple of months ago, I was queuing outside a local café with my son. There was an older woman in front of us. As so often happens when I have a child in tow, this stranger smiled at me. Then she smiled at my boy, who was singing a made-up song and swaying to the tune.
“Look at that dancing,” she cooed, beaming at him. “Aren’t you a gorgeous girl?”
He wasn’t listening and ...
