Growing up I was a wild and messy little boy. I was always encouraged to go outside and when I found my way to a big pile of mud I was never in to much trouble. My sisters on the other hand were encouraged to spend more time doing things inside such as helping my mom cook, playing with dolls, or playing house. They were both very good runners so athleticism was not anything they were lacking, but coordination with other sports and confidence when they did run were things they lacked.
Chapter two of the book talks about the two phrases “boys will be boys” and “she throws like a girl.” “At a young age girls are taught to restrict movements, protect her body, and use it femininely.” (Gamble and Gamble p.36) Boys such as myself are taught at a young age to be physically assertive and athletic. It even posed the question are boys naturally more assertive while girls are naturally more reserved or are they both encouraged to be the way they are? Some girls will be more athletic than others, and some boys will be more uncoordinated than others. I think it is a parents job to encourage them to bring out whichever one they are and help them embrace it. If my parents did not encourage me to be an active boy who was always outside getting dirty and scraped up I do not think I would have done many of the things I have gotten to do such as play football, rock climb and snowboard. I am much more of a risk taker than my two sisters and I do think I was encouraged to be a risk taker while they were encouraged to be safer.
Sources: Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2003). The Gender Communication Connection. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company
