The big boys

We have a youth volunteer program in our area, and every week a group of 4 teenage  boys have been creating a garden for us, together with a couple of residents from our complex. 

Really nice, polite boys. They let my son "help" them; gathering rocks, even planting a shoot (is that what its called? plants are so a foreign language to me). He was so proud. "Look how strong I am!" Walking by the next morning he immediately pointed out his handiwork. 

"Did you like those big boys?" I asked. I knew the answer was yes. "When you grow up you'll be a very big boy like them." I held my breath, expecting him to say something like "I'm Elsa and Elsa is a girl. " but he didn't, he said yes. 

But while i'm so happy with my son finally identifying with other males, he says, "Right only boys can work in the garden, and not girls?"

Oy. Can't my son be happy being male, without making it about superiority over females???? 


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