I don’t know why parents need to assume anything once their kid is old enough to display agency. And sexuality doesn’t need to be assumed, parents should stay out of the sexuality of their children for the most part.
But yeah I don’t see how gender is any different than figuring out if your kid likes broccoli. Just push them a bit to experiment like you would with food. Push them to try on all types of clothes. Show them all types of movies. Buy them toys of different types. Have them make friends with kids of other genders.
Allow them to participate in activities that cross gender norms. But most importantly force nothing and go with what sticks.
I aim this particularly at parents in the US who essentially pretend that their children have little to no agency until they’re 13 or so. Give your child that agency and you’ll stop having to assume who they are at all.
I don’t know why parents need to assume anything once their kid is old enough to display agency. And sexuality doesn’t need to be assumed, parents should stay out of the sexuality of their children for the most part.
But yeah I don’t see how gender is any different than figuring out if your kid likes broccoli. Just push them a bit to experiment like you would with food. Push them to try on all types of clothes. Show them all types of movies. Buy them toys of different types. Have them make friends with kids of other genders. Allow them to participate in activities that cross gender norms. But most importantly force nothing and go with what sticks.
I aim this particularly at parents in the US who essentially pretend that their children have little to no agency until they’re 13 or so. Give your child that agency and you’ll stop having to assume who they are at all.