Cohousing-L Mailing List: Gender Differences

[Sharon Villines (sharonvillines]

We moved into a new home when my son had just turned 5 and my daughter was
almost 8. They were given a list of chores to divide up between them and we
were reviewing their choices as we fixed dinner. It quickly became apparent
that Jason had taken all the boy jobs; Shannah, all the girl jobs.

Mother:  Wait a minute. This won't work. Everyone has to do all kinds of
work, girl jobs and boy jobs.

Shannah: Now Mommy, we just chose the jobs we like to do. You always told us
that there are no such things as boy jobs or girl jobs. There's just work.

Jason: Yes there are boy jobs and I'm a boy. You can't take my jobs.

Shannah: Be quiet Jason. I'm arguing your argument.

Jason: But I'm a boy. Those are my boy jobs! (Many tears. Heartbroken
tears.)

Shannah: Jason, you'll get your jobs if you be quiet!

Jason: You can't have my jobs.

Mother redoes chores list leaving the boy the vacuum cleaning (machines are
automatically boy jobs) so the tears stop.

Daughter gives up thoroughly disgusted with both mother and brother.

No chores get done except the vacuuming.

Sharon
-- 
Sharon Villines
In Washington, DC at Takoma Village Cohousing
Where the fire alarms went off again today for about the millionth time this
month. Either they were testing (again) or another worker rammed a
two-by-four into a sprinkler.