What makes a boy and a girl?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi An - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.
Biologically a person's sex is determined by sex chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, and external genitalia. In addition, determining whether a child is a boy or a girl is based on many other factors such as social behavior, male and female attributes reflected in traditions and cultures in each region.

1. What makes a boy and a girl?

Biologically, a person's sex is determined by sex chromosomes, hormones, internal reproductive organs, and genitals. Gender, on the other hand, refers to a person's inner feeling of being male or female.
Gender is determined not only by biology but also by a number of other factors, including what society considers masculine and feminine behavior and how masculine and feminine attributes are reflected reflected in the media and culture of each region. Our families, our upbringing and even our religion all play a role in shaping boys and girls.
Gender recognition begins to crystallize as early as the first year of life, and children can usually identify themselves as a boy or a girl by the time they are 2-3 years old.

2. A role model for raising boys and raising girls

Children pay close attention to the men and women in their lives, and they develop expectations based on what they observed as children. However, children absorb adult habits in the same way as children.
Diane Ruble, emeritus professor of psychology at New York University, describes a boy whose father drank tea and his mother drank coffee. The boy thought he had found the rules about gender until he saw a man with a cup of coffee, he was amazed.
That's why you remember that children are recording what they see: If you want your child to know that men can cook or women can fix things, show it to them.
You may also want to explain how perceptions of gender change. For example, the popularity of earrings for men and tattoos for women shows how society's expectations about gender change.
If you and your partner have traditional family roles and you want to encourage your child to be open about gender roles, change to show your child other ways.
You can find books, TV shows and movies with men and women playing non-traditional roles. Or point out a male nurse or a female police officer and say positively about that person: "He may decide to go to nursing school because he enjoys taking care of people," or "She's protecting the city." ours from crime".

3. Gender identification: "The rule" is boy or girl

By the time children enter kindergarten, they know that there are girls' clothes and boys' clothes, and they may be reluctant to choose between them. Just as little girls receive compliments on the clothes they wear from an early age, so it's no surprise that she might insist on wearing a princess dress on a camping trip. She simply accepts her own femininity and tries to blend in with all the other girls around her as well.
Ruble says that during the preschool years, children tend to be quite rigid about what is appropriate for boys and what is appropriate for girls. That's because children have a specific gender identity and it's important for them to behave in a way that they feel is appropriate for people of their own gender.
When kids are 5 or 6 years old, they begin to loosen their prejudices and realize that both sexes can do almost anything.

4. Expressing feelings for boys and girls

There is an unwritten rule that when touched and hurt, girls receive sympathy and reassurance and boys are required to be strong through it. Many parents today encourage their sons and daughters to express their feelings, but it's not easy to change the way you think if that's not how you usually do.
Plus, you can't control what your child will encounter outside of your home. On the playground, for example, the old rules about gender may still apply.
Even if expectations are high, stopping guys from expressing their feelings will really make them feel depressed. Boys raised with this approach can become emotionally claustrophobic and stay that way into adulthood.
If you want your son to grow up to be comfortable with his emotions, ask yourself if you would respond to his tears the same way you did your daughter.

5. Gender stereotypes on shows

Mary Margaret Reagan-Montiel, preschool program director at the National Institute of Communication and Family (US) based in Minneapolis, said children who are looking for clues about gender need not look. away, which is in the shows, videos, movies, and commercials they watch.
Some characters provide positive role models for children to follow. But other shows seem to be based on a joke and plot based on age-old gender stereotypes.
Advertising especially tends to reinforce gender stereotypes. Sports-related ads are typically aimed at men, while ads for cleaning products and diet programs are often targeted at women.
Parents don't have to completely ban screen time, but it's a good idea to preview shows or watch them with your kids so you can point out things kids can learn, such as "Have you noticed that in this show the boys never stop joking around and the girls have to figure out how to solve problems? I don't think that's not mandatory in life. real life, right?"

6. The role of parents in raising sons and raising daughters

Keeping children nourished, safe, and healthy is hard enough, so you may be wondering why you should pay so much attention to your baby's gender. But whether you realize it or not, your thoughts and actions have a huge impact on your child's view of sex.
>>> Sex education for young children
It can be a long time before there are the same set of standards and expectations for both girls and boys and the division of housework without distinction of sex. After all, most parents want their children to reach their full potential and help them realize that they are not limited by gender.
But don't be surprised if your child's attitude doesn't match yours. Even if you do your best to create a gender-neutral atmosphere in your home, your child may still see a hard line between how boys and girls act differently.
However, you do not need to worry, because this is a normal stage. Children have a deep need to understand their world, and they are not mentally flexible enough to open up. Children still see things in two contrasting colors, black and white.
>>> Sex talk for 6 to 8 year olds
If your little girl insists on wearing a puffy dress to play outside in the middle of winter, you can just wear a few more Warm leggings underneath for baby.
Don't worry if your son wants to play with dolls, because practicing nurturing is good for everyone. Eventually she will hear someone say that dolls are considered "girls' toys" and then she can decide for herself if she wants to continue playing with the dolls.
As your child gets older, encourage all interests in your child, including those that fall outside the traditional gender factor. A girl who wants to play soccer? A boy who wants to learn to dance? Give your child a chance to discover what feels right.

7. Transgender Children: When Their Born Sex Doesn't Match

Sometimes parents worry when their daughter prefers to play soccer instead of playing with dolls, or when their son wants to wear nice clothes and make up. For most young children, this is just casual play. Most children identify themselves with the gender they were born with.
But sometimes a child may feel that their gender doesn't match. A child may be extremely dissatisfied with the sex he was born with, or even claim to be truly the opposite sex. When this happens, children may also face social isolation among their peers and pressure to conform to traditional gender norms.
>>> Childhood Gender Disorder
There is rarely confusion about gender identity, but if a child fits this pattern, call your doctor or consult a health professional. mental health. Counseling is important to help children and families understand this condition.

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Article referenced source: Babycenter.com