How Not To Parent

The Wife and I have certain expectations for our children, Ali and Will (6 and 9 years-old).

• Become a competent swimmer.
• Being able to defend yourself.
• Be able to play one instrument competently.
• Do well in school (B's are OK. A's are hoped for, and B- or lower means that a problem exists.)
• Be kind.
• Become a competent thinker. (Not falling into the typical cognitive pitfalls of our species.)

What you will notice from the above list is that we're not placing a huge amount of emphasis on gender roles. Do you know why? Because gender identity and learning your gender role takes care of itself. (The only time it doesn't is where the prejudices of society messes with your kid.) Take Ali, for example. The Wife hates the color pink and doesn't like dresses too much. Ali loves pink and loves to don a dress.  Will has never been too interested in the traditional girlie stuff or activities. He is a traditional geeky male child and loves talking about Pokemon and Greek gods. Somehow, the kids have turning out OK without us cramming down their throats how boys and girls should and shouldn't act.
Do you know what you get when you push and push a boy into being tough and masculine?

This.

This is a four year-old boy running down the snowy streets of New York in his underwear. Apparently the four year-old boy agreed to it.

On several occasions, both parents tell their son to lie down in the snow, which he does eventually when his mother presses him.

"He agreed to go out to run in the snow naked or else it wouldn't be possible for me to take his clothes off," said He, [the father] who runs a bed linen company in the eastern city of Nanjing.

The father has been given the nickname "Eagle Dad" in reference to Chua, who sparked controversy when she wrote a book extolling the benefits of tough parenting.

He, who also claims to teach his son Kung Fu, dancing, cycling and mountain climbing, said he was trying to help his child develop a "masculine temperament". 

You don't need to be religious to succumb to idiotic reasoning or barbarism.

This is Purgatory.