Raising kids the traditional way used to be as simple as choosing blue for boys and pink for girls. Some progressive-thinking parents, however, are choosing to raise their kids as gender neutral or even genderless.
What exactly does it take to raise kids with this approach? What makes gender neutral parenting click with some parents and why is it controversial for other parents?
Gender neutral parenting (GNP) is about raising children without any pre-conceived gender norms, stereotypes and labels. Parents encourage and allow their children to play with either boy or girl toys, or decorate the kids' room in neutral colors, or let their kids wear clothes of their own choice.
Providing children no gender restrictions is seen as liberating for some parents who believe it is society that has imposed these limitations. In a gender neutral environment, they believe that children could realize their full potential, whatever that might be.
"Our socialization into gender roles limits our children's potential to discover unhindered who they are and what they're interested in," gender neutral mom Thea Hughes said, according to News Corp Australia. A girl can grow up aspiring for a career in science, engineering or sports, which are usually regarded as part of a man's world. A boy can grow up as a caring and emotional being, which are usually associated as feminine traits.
This approach, however, has its share of criticisms. Neuroscientist Deborah Soh pointed out the biological differences between the brain of boys and girls, which has been pre-determined in conception. The expert said that pushing gender neutral parenting could be futile because the brain will resist it, Parent Herald previously reported.
In 2009, neuroscience professor Lise Elliot told Salon that indeed boys' and girls' brains are wired differently. The expert, however, believed more than encouraging boys and girls to be genderless and not follow stereotypes, parents should instead focus on giving children a happy childhood.
There's some backlash to gender neutral parenting especially if adults are too conscious of doing this and giving children so many options that it is no longer balanced or neutral. "Provide each child with more of a rounded experience early in life," Elliot said. "It's important to not give preschool children too much choice about what activity they do because then you have kids separating by gender and only reinforcing their strengths."
