Numerous parents wait to determine the gender of their child in till the baby’s birth date. One four-month-old baby’s gender is still a secret, because his or her parents want “Storm” (the baby) to grow up to make his or her own choice. Many people are upset with the parents’ decision; they think this is doing the child a disservice. However, the parents feel this is a “tribute to freedom and choice.” The couple have two other children both boys who know the gender of the baby, but simply identify the baby as “Storm”.
The parent’s email to family and friends–
“We’ve decided not to share Storm’s sex for now — a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a standup to what the world could become in Storm’s lifetime.”
Kathy Witterick & David Stocker
We would like to get your feedback— do you think this is a disservice to the child or is this the type of parenting we need in society?
Hello Mrs. AOK 🙂
I personally tend to think this has less to do with the well being of the child than the parents’ theological agenda.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand their frustration. How often do we complain about the societal expecations placed on us due our gender? Women tend to complain about men’s lack of compassion, communicative inadequecies, etc., which we assume is because of an upbringing taken place within our societal hinderings. Likewise, we are dubbed as “sissies,” “softies,” “-insert demeaning ‘female’ word here,” because we are girls.
However, even those of us who endeavor to sidestep those gender specific societal expectations tend to simply subscribe to the OTHER gender’s labels. Reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Eva Burrows: “We have to be careful in this era of
feminism, not to emphasize an equality of the sexes that leads women to imitate men to prove their equality. To be equal does not mean you have to be the same.”
My point is, there will be societal expecations on both ends. Someday, and someday soon, the baby will realize that they do in fact have a gender. What “choice” are the parents even talking about here? The child is either born with one gender specific part or the other. There is no way around that. Why not give the child the opportunity to acclimate to society as soon as they are fit to, without adding any confusion? Furthermore, I think babies could care less.
I think the best thing to do is to celebrate the child’s gender. Provide him/her with all of the tools necessary to become the best representation of the most magnificent qualities of that gender. In this way, both can someday co-exist in the word with the admiration and respect that each deserve.
**Oops, I meant “ideological,” not “theological”
Sorry 🙂
I must say Shell hit it on the nailhead. I am in total agreement kids need to know who they are boy or girl, we as parents are responsible to teach them to be the best boy or girl they can be. Then our kids will have a great sense of well being and confidence in themselves that will carry over into adulthood with their own families.