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No gender roles and swearing allowed: couple share controversial methods of raising their eight children
Gender roles play no role in this couple’s parenting (icon image)
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An American couple shares on TikTok how they are raising their children. The methods are anything but ordinary.
One can hardly escape the prevailing gender roles when raising children. To understand this, a quick glance at the clothing and toy departments for children is often enough: Traditionally, a distinction is made between products for boys and girls – although both sexes would find use for them.
An American couple does not want to raise their children with these roles and shares via his TikTok channel in his opinion “controversial” methods of raising children. The parents of eight children keep getting headwinds from their followers, but also a lot of encouragement. The account is run by the biological mother, who self-identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns “they/them”. The account was originally intended to address the parent’s post-traumatic stress disorder. Toxic parenting is also a big issue here.
No gender roles, swearing allowed
In the first video, parents explain what their children are allowed to do. This includes being able to take days off from school if their mental health requires it, being able to swear and being raised away from gender roles. The gender identity of each child is individual. So you can decide how to identify yourself.
In addition, they don’t have to sit on Santa’s lap, don’t have to hug or kiss anyone if they don’t want to and grades don’t matter either: it counts more that they have made an effort and tried. In general, they are allowed to decide for themselves about their bodies. That would have also applied to the corona vaccination, but all the children would have opted for an injection.
No gender-specific activities
The users ask the TikTokers how they do it. “We just do what we want and what’s good for us,” they explained. The parent then took himself as an example and said that while the husband was in the kitchen preparing dinner, he was laying flooring in the garage. “Do what makes you happy, that’s all that really matters.”
Although these parenting methods raise many questions among followers, many are also enthusiastic about them. “It’s not controversial, it’s just the right way to raise a child,” says the comments, among other things. “You sound like wonderful parents” and “you are perfect” are further comments. The parents counter that they are far from perfect, “we’re just trying to make our kids happy.”
Sources:“The Independent”, tik tok