gender enforcement

[metaphortunate]

Things the baby has ostensibly done recently to cause people to say "Wow, you've really got a boy there, haven't you?"

1) Opened kitchen drawer, flung out piece of tupperware
2) Climbed up slide at playground

Things I believe the baby has ACTUALLY done recently to cause people to say "Wow, you've really got a boy there, haven't you?"

Received a short haircut.

Reason for hypothesis

Previous to the haircut, the most common question upon meeting him was "Boy or girl?"

Alternate hypothesis

Perhaps the haircut has caused him to behave in a more masculine fashion?

Evidence supporting alternate hypothesis

None. Baby behavior has not noticeably changed.

Evidence supporting initial hypothesis

People are extremely good at finding patterns and then noticing evidence to support those patterns and discarding evidence that does not.

Conclusion

GRRARGH PEOPLE WHY YOU GOTTA BE LIKE THAT.

Comments

[metaphortunate]

OMG my jealousy of a baby who now understands short chats. *___* Someday, maybe!

No, in honesty I know he's understanding more and more. It's pretty awesome. He doesn't always listen, though.

One thing that I found was fascinating is that cartoon shorthand for animals is culturally specific. My friend's wife is Chinese and she was pregnant when I was as well and we were looking at baby clothes & stuff and it turned out she couldn't tell what the hell the cartoon animals were on the clothes. She'd be like, "...a bear?" and Mr. E and I and my friend would be all "No, see, the ears are on the side of the head! It's a monkey, OBVIOUSLY." And she was all, "If you say so. Side ears = monkey over here, riiiiiight." It is now astonishing to me that babies pick up on cartoon abstractions of animals as amazingly fast as they do.

[thistleingrey]

My daughter doesn't always listen, either--clearly, both kids are human. :) Poor impulse control is part of this age, too. Today's Exhibit A is my finger, bitten while I was trying gently to detach a book at bedtime.

Totally. We have one Korean board book courtesy of my mother; the chibi illustrations still baffle darkforge a bit, though he knows the story (retold in English).