GrandDaughter2 came to play on Wednesday morning. We keep a selection of toys under the table in the lounge with easy access for such occasions. the toys are either from charity shops or from my own children's growing-up. Some last better than others obviously but Fisher Price is a reliable favourite.The dolls' house may be a bit tatty but all the grandchildren love it and have played with it. The people have got a bit mixed up: we seem to have a construction worker and the circus ring leader living with the family now but that's okay; we're very in favour of communal housing.
So, anyway, we were playing with the people. I set the chairs and table out for dinner and GrandDaughter2 added the people so we ended up with this arrangement.
It's difficult. I was a stay-at-home mother and my grandchildren all benefit from the same with their mums so the thing they, indeed we are most used to is the idea of mummy shopping and cooking and daddy going out to work and I reflect that in my words.
But I realise I must be careful not to set any constraints on my grandchildren, not to make them assume that's the norm and what they should be expected to do, especially the girls I suppose.
Fortunately both my sons are keen cooks and do a lot of the cooking in the home and Elder Son cooks with his boys. (I'm sure Younger Son will too but at 13 months GrandSon4 is bit little to be let loose in the kitchen yet. Although considering his great enthusiasm for food I think they might have a job keeping him out of there when he's a bit older.)
So I shall try. I suspect that GrandDaughter1 may be the one to keep me in line anyway. She is a very independent and original thinker and at seven is already refusing to be like everyone else.
5 comments:
I guess the best approach is to let the kids suggest what mummy and daddy should be doing, without making any of your own suggestions, and then if they come up with typical gender roles, point out to them that it's a question of what mummy and daddy find best, and some mummies and daddies might prefer it the other way round. But it's so easy to slip into the traditional patterns without thinking!
It was the norm in my family too ..but I went to work after I cooked dinner ..when he came home from work ..same in my sons family .. He comes home from work ....dinner is cooked and then his wife goes out to work . All this PC stuff is getting on my nerves why change our way of thinking. #justsaying. .
Yes, Nick, that's a good idea. I tend to provide a running commentary - to encourage speech development.
I think it's valuable sometimes, Anne, as I don't want to set any limits on what my grandchildren think they can or should do.
I still have the FP barn. :-)
I, too, am tired of this PC stuff. I have no more small grandchildren, so I don't have to worry about it. Best thing to say - "Here comes Mummy, where do you think she's been?"
Yes, i'll have to adjust my conversations, Sharon.
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