I don't think we can trust ourselves - for example, I would be *more* willing to dress a boy in pink than a girl, which just proves I'm not impartial, even though I would like to be. I don't know how to be impartial without some kind of positive discrimination for traditionally-opposite-sex traits. I compensate by occasionally dressing Linnea in dresses (especially in summer), and I do encourage quiet play, which mostly means reading books or having tea-parties. She's getting a train for Christmas because Rob and I want one.

This world is broken. Partly I want her to be able to deal with it and get whatever she wants anyway, and partly I want her not to have to.

I'm very grateful that my mother raised us to think that girls can do anything they like. She only got two girlie girls out of it, too, and both of those can hike a mountain or wire a plug or hang wallpaper when they need to.