General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Fourth grade boys list things they don't like about being a boy... [View all]bettyellen
(47,209 posts)this stuff as young girls in grade school- I did not need any. It was pretty much standard practice to discuss fears about your changing bodies with young girls before they went into puberty. Nothing nefarious about that aspect. We also touched on the added body hair and smell thing too- funny guys here do not seem to realize those are universal fears pre-puberty!
There were also discussions about future careers and opportunities for women and men to break the mold and be whatever you wanted. (Look up Free to Be You and Me for a good example) All of these things were good learning experiences. The poor kid who wanted to "mother" a kid, and the other who felt "men do all the work" totally needed to learn that their fears are unfounded, and that they had the agency to do so. That is awesome.
What I Like and Dont Like About Being a Boy: Thoughts from a group of Grade 4 Boys.
http://higherunlearning.com/2013/10/05/what-i-like-and-dont-like-about-being-a-boy-thoughts-from-a-group-of-grade-4-boys/
Understanding Boys, Understanding Girls.
http://higherunlearning.com/2012/05/02/understanding-boys-understanding-girls/