Breaking the mould

FOUR out of five parents want to challenge “restrictive gender stereotypes” surrounding their young children according to research.

A study to be released today found 92 per cent of parents think boys and girls should be raised the same in their early years.

Mothers were more comfortable than fathers with children acting “in opposition” to gender stereotypes, such as young sons crying when they feel sad – fathers were more “rigid” about boys’ roles.

Parents of young girls (aged up to 3) were “more comfortable with the idea of them engaging with ‘masculine’ play, such as playing with trucks” than parents of young boys were with sons’ participation in feminine-type play, “such as playing with dolls”.