Dylan is two years old.
He’s not a man.
He’s not a Little Man.
When his father goes out of town for business, Dylan is not the man of the house.
He doesn’t “take care of his mama”.
He doesn’t ever have to “man up”.
He’s two years old.
Regardless of what he thinks of masculinity in the future, it doesn’t apply to him now.
I have heard variations of all those “man” phrases directed at my son or other people’s sons.
I cringe every time.
When you imagine saying any of those things to girl children, their absurdity is revealed.
Imagine calling a girl child a woman or nicknaming her Little Woman.
Imagine calling her the woman of the house when her mother is out of town.
Imagine telling her to take care of her father.
Imagine telling her to “suck it up”.
I don’t know.
Maybe people say these things to their daughters, too.
Ew.
Can’t children just stay children?
Can’t they avoid pointless gendering for just a few more years. (No, of course.)
Can’t Dylan just be my baby and not some tiny caricature of masculinity?
He’s not a little man. He’s not the man of the house. He doesn’t have to take care of me. He doesn’t have to man up.
Please.
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