Max Price gender neutral. Will Max grow up to be a boy or a girl? What do we mean by affirming gender identity,what are we to make of gender neutral parenting?
Max Price it seems is going to have a very interesting childhood if his parents, Lisa and Martin can help it. Hoping to establish a set of values where he won’t grow up aggressive, Max Price’s parents have set about raising their son according to a technique called ‘gender- neutral parenting.‘
The technique involves introducing the child to both male and female accoutrements with the hope that their son/daughter can revel in his/her own identity, self expression, without feeling the need to compensate towards society mandated masculine or female sensibilities.
In one sitting, the one year old Max Price will be dressed in a red checked lumberjack shirt and rust colored jeans whilst pushing a plastic motorbike. Later that day he’ll be wearing a dark blue, knee length decorated with pink flamingos along with a blond haired doll.
Tells mom Lisa: ‘If Max wants to wear a pink tutu and fairy wings, then he can wear it,’ says Lisa. ‘He’s just expressing himself. I don’t want to put him in a certain box and treat him that way. I want to teach him to be whatever he wants to be. He can pick his own clothes and, as long as they’re warm enough for the winter, I’ll get him whatever he wants.’
Asked how visitors to the household react to their decision to rear Max gender neutral, Lisa tells: ‘You get the odd funny look, and a bit of hostility, but once we explain how we are bringing our son up, and why, people tend to understand.’
‘I hope that Max won’t get teased when he’s older. But part of what we are trying to do with Max is to instil such a sense of confidence, and a sense of who he is, that he won’t care what anyone else thinks.’
In a feature with the UK’s dailymail, Lisa, a full time housewife tells she took the decision to allow Max to identify as either a girl or a boy 12 months ago, after seeing high-profile rape cases being discussed on parenting websites.
‘Gender stereotypes can be so damaging. They teach little boys to be aggressive and dominant over women,’
‘There’s research out there saying that the whole “boys will be boys” thing basically teaches lads that it’s OK to be a certain way, because it’s in their nature to be aggressive. It’s detrimental for them and for females.’
Affirms father Martin who has older children from a previous marriage whom he has raised with traditional gender role structuring: ‘My parents told me that I played with my sister’s dolls as a child and it doesn’t bother me. I can’t see why it would bother anyone.’
The concept of gender-neutral parenting first became popular among feminists in America during the 1970s, when it inspired the actress Marlo Thomas to write a best-selling children’s book called Free To Be… You and Me. Recently, it has experienced a small revival.
Tells wikipedia: The basic concept was to encourage post-1960s gender neutrality, saluting values such as individuality, tolerance, and comfort with one’s identity. A major thematic message is that anyone—whether a boy or a girl—can achieve anything.
In normal circumstances, Max would be required to start wearing gender-specific clothes when he starts at school. However Lisa and Martin have a contingency plan that will allow him to continue dressing as he pleases.
‘We’re planning on home educating Max,’ says Lisa, who was herself home-schooled. ‘However, if he does eventually choose to go to school, and wants to wear a girl’s uniform, I certainly won’t stop him.’
She adds: ‘It doesn’t matter if he’s homosexual, bisexual, transsexual or asexual as far as I’m concerned. I didn’t give birth to him to say “I’m only going to love you if you’re this way”. I love him for who he is.’
Nevertheless not everyone is sold on Max Price’s parents to rear him gender neutral.
Told a variety of commentators:
Sick, sad parents, deluded and misguided. In need of psychiatric help URGENTLY.
Fine to give them a range of toys to play with by all means. Not all girls like dolls, not all boys like cars. But children cry out for guidance from their family, and want to fit the norm. No individual is invulnerable to mockery from their peers, and choice of clothes is critical to fitting in with others, otherwise low self-esteem will be the result regardless of family support. No-one is an island.
They are cretins. He won’t grow up fucked up to be honest (well probably not) he will just grow up embarrassed about his childhood. It is PROVEN that generally speaking boys and girls like different games/toys and act differently. Socialisation plays a minor role. All this will amount to nothing…and it will have no impact on whether he becomes an aggressive teenager, that will be down largely to his testosterone levels, innate personality and circumstance/peer group.
The idea that gender is a social construct is utterly laughable, proven to be false and the refuge of moronic half wits who like to feel they are enlightened and progressive.
In other words, you’ll only love him if he’ll conform to your warped parenting techniques. You won’t let him develop naturally into who he’s meant to be—aggressive or not. You obviously wouldn’t love him if he were aggressive. You basically just said so.
The opposite will happen as he will become aggressive for being taught to be gender confused.
Exposure to these elements is fine, but when the lad chooses one path or another, if the ‘rents keep pushing things he has no affinity for, they’re in the wrong.
What about the respect of the natural instinct? Why do you need to go into childrens minds to influence them? That’s like raping their innocence and conscience – Your technic to educate ‘peace’ can lead to anything wrong as well. Such violence or perversion mental when they grew up. I think this is not healthy and safe for them. And it goes against the human nature.
I am sure there is other way to educate the tolerance of each others, than telling boys that they can be a girl… and vice versa …poor kids and family. pfff