Snowperson

It has not been a long time when my daughter was playing with a doctor's toy set, and she said, “Mumma, I am pretending to be a nurse because I am a girl and her cousin is a doctor because he is a boy”. I was not sure where it is coming from. 

 

I took her to the hospital to meet and greet Doctors in each department, but she was adamant that she cannot be a doctor as she is a girl. Later, a day-care friend’s magic worked, and she came back home to tell us she will be a ‘blood doctor’. Hmmm, ‘blood’; I guess she learned early to choose a carrier that she loves; blood doctor perfect for vampire stories lover kid). Anyways, It was a relief, but I was still bewildered.

 

First Gender

During these online classes at the covid time, I gained more insights. The textbooks still say a policeman, a watchman, a postman, and so on. I had to keep emphasizing it's a police officer, a guard, or a mail carrier. Further, it was so deeply rooted in our mind that whenever there are perfectly unrelated examples associated with cooking and kitchen appliances, the name of a mother comes up all the time.

 

Here we are in the English class and learning “blending letters” - A juicer-mixer-blender can be found at ‘juice-walla’, not necessarily when a mom is preparing juice in her kitchen. My daughter is confused as I am the person spending the least time in my household kitchen. 

 

A kid asks for a bio-break or a water break, so we continue to hear the class-teacher saying, ‘Please ask your mom’. This responsibility classification is going to imprint in their mind. Please mind your vocabulary.

 

Second Gender

Her cousin is in a higher grade, and textbooks have gone under change. So from his Hindi textbook where we, as a student, have learned राजू पढ़ रहा है translates to Raju is studying.

सीता बर्तन धो रही है translates to Sita is washing dishes.

 

They are learning

राजू बर्तन धो रहा है translates to Raju is washing dishes.

सीता पढ़ रही है translates to Sita is studying.

 

The disapprovals to the earlier depiction are not reflecting in corrections in the latter phrases. Do not just reverse the roles, but bring a wholesome picture. A boy and a girl should both be studying and performing household chores to become a wholly evolved person. 

 

Third Gender

This one is most important, and we are in the EVS class. The textbook has a chapter on ‘Gender’, which explains feminine and masculine. But it does not talk about all the genders. Female and Male are binary. Where is the assignment for the non-binary gender? If we are not teaching gender neutrality at the early childhood level, then how gender equality can be rooted in these young minds?

 

Lastly, we are at the Art and Craft class. My daughter, who cannot be focus very long, did not listen to what drawing they are making today. I reminded her, “SNOWMAN”. She looked into my eyes and said, “No, Mumma. It is a SNOWPERSON”. Alright. All is well that ends well.