I’ve never been the kind of mom that put a gender specification on toys or clothes or activities. I did however do this not even realizing it… Yesterday I was at Walmart grocery shopping with Averie. We walked down an isle where a previous co-worker and good friend was stocking, and he just loves Averie (He has a five-year-old son). He was talking to Averie and asking her questions about what she likes and one of the things she said was that she likes playing with cars. Well He told Averie that he likes cars too and then I chimed in and said, “Yeah, she likes dirt and dinosaurs too. She loves to be dirty and do boy things, like her dad. I swear, she’s half boy.” He then said, “Why do you say that? Nothing should be gender specific.”

He is so right. Nothing for kids should be gender specific. I can’t believe I even said that. I wasn’t even thinking. Kids are who they are. Girls should be able to play with dinosaurs and cars without being criticized for it. I mean, we all learn about dinosaurs in school and eventually all drive cars, right? Just like boys should be able to play with baby dolls without getting any kind of looks from another judgmental parent. Eventually that boy will either become a dad or play a dad figure in another kid’s life at some point. Having a baby doll prepares them for that. It teaches them nurturing and kindness.

Another time I was at Walmart, I was getting Pull-ups and another mom was down the same isle doing the same thing. She turns to me and says, “Does it really matter what kind of Pull-ups I get for my daughter? I can get her the boy ones, right?” I replied, “Honestly, there is no boy ones or girl ones. They are all the same, just different colors.” She smiled and said, “Good, I’m glad you said that.” I let Averie pick out her own Pull-ups when she with me, and normally, she picks out the blue Paw Patrol ones. It’s pretty much whatever her interests are that week, which we all know that kid’s interests change all the time.

I have never not bought my daughter something that she really wanted because it was in the boy section. Nor will I ever do that. I will also never make a comment like I did at Walmart ever again. I don’t want my daughter to grow up thinking that she can’t play with cars, dinosaurs or in the dirt because it’s for boys. I want her to be able to wear and do whatever she wants and feel comfortable with it. I want her to be able to dress up as Chase from Paw Patrol for Halloween if she wants to. I want her to feel comfortable in anything and everything she does. She isn’t a girl who likes boy things… She’s a girl who likes everything and doesn’t gender categorize. She just doesn’t care about that kind of stuff. If it looks fun or cool, she wants it.

I think we all need to be a little more like our kids. We shouldn’t gender categorize. Our kids like what they like because that is who they are, and we wouldn’t try and change our kids, right? We love them for who they are.

Speaking of kids being who they are… Something has been bothering me lately. One of my friends came out to everyone as gay just recently, and he was terrified to do it. Especially to his mom. This makes me sad that people feel the need that they need to hide and or announce being who they were born as. No one announces that they are straight. Why should someone who is attracted to the same sex feel the need to announce that they are gay or bi-sexual? They shouldn’t, because IT IS WHO THEY ARE. Everyone needs to stop discriminating against someone for being exactly who they are meant to be. It should just be a normal thing to be gay, bi, straight or whatever you want to be. Love is love regardless who it is between. Everyone should be able to love themselves, but others who hate, make it impossible sometimes for people to love themselves for who they are.

Less hate, more love people. Come on, it’s 2018. Hate and discrimination is so outdated. Love and acceptance are in.

Remember, gender categorizing and discriminating are not okay and makes you selfish human being.