Gender Neutral Children

        The story of Sasha, a 5 year old boy who has been raised as "gender-neutral" definitely sparks different thoughts. I agree that young children should not be placed into the stereotype of their biological sex, but rather be able to explore interests of boys and girls. Maybe I am somewhat bias with this opinion because growing up, I was a young girl who was more interested in the "boy" toys. I never looked at a Barbie, but would receive the newest Hot Wheels track for every holiday. While my older sister was playing dress up, I was playing in the mud or riding my bike outside. While I was supposed to get my sister's hand-me-down clothing, I refused to wear them because they were pink, purple, or had flowers on them. I was much happier with my favorite pair of jeans and a solid colored t-shirt. I was the definition of a "tom-boy," and maybe that is why I agree with the fact that all young children should be allowed to explore all interests, not just the ones contained within their gender. Sasha grew up in a yellow room with both boy and girl clothing available for him to choose, and both cars and dolls to play with. While some may say its overboard or could cause psychological problems down the road, I think it is better than making a boy feel like he has to be the stereotypical boy.
        On the other hand, the end of the article mentions a young girl named Storm. Her parents also plan to raise her gender-neutral. A US psychiatrist spoke out saying that, "We do have male brains and female brains. There’s a reason why boys do more rough and tumble play; there’s a reason why girls have better language development skills." I agree with this too, which may be contradictory to what I previously stated. I believe that we are born how we are; we may not become aware of it until we age, but it is there. I do not think people "turn gay." I believe they are born homosexual and just do not realize it or accept it until that point. Girl and boy brains are chemically different, and there is scientific evidence of that. Even at young ages, boy brains develop and act differently than girls. Making a child gender-neutral, in my eyes, is confusing. I think the child will be teased later on as well. I think a better way is to keep options open and listen to what your kid wants. If you raise a little boy and he is more interested in Barbie at the toy store, then buy the Barbie. But I think having both girl and boy clothes available for the child is confusing and might mess with their development more than it helps.