[crusso]

I'd be willing to bet that you don't have at least 2 non-twin children.

They want what they want. They have desires to be boys, girls, rough, quiet, loud, masculine, feminine, etc. all without (and often in spite of) being influenced to the contrary.

Advertising just showcases things that they already mostly want. It doesn't completely change their desires.

[chalst]

You moved the goalposts there a little: why the "completely" in "It doesn't completely change their desires"?

What children want is influenced by what their peers want, and what peer groups find desirable is influenced, among other things, by merchandising-related children's TV programming.

When I was young, there was far less difference between boys toys and girls toys than there is now.

[booyaa00]

Woah there. Even when a child is 1 or 2, they start to exhibit the traits that show what they want. Way before they have any peer group, before they can be advertised at etc etc.

Girls want to care for things, communicate, etc, and boys want to blow stuff up or build stuff. It's preprogrammed into our DNA.

[AlexandrB]

Whoa. Programmed into our DNA, that's a pretty extraordinary claim. Consider feral children:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_children#Reality

http://planetark.org/wen/53118

> "When carers leave the room, the girl jumps at the door and barks," the police said.

An extreme example I admit, but if it's preprogrammed into out DNA shouldn't she be "caring for things" instead?

[booyaa00]

It always amuses me how some people absolutely believe that being gay is 'preprogrammed into their DNA', but refuse to accept that there is any difference between the sexes.

Wait until you've had a son and daughter, then come back and report what massive differences in behaviour there was right from birth.

[roel_v]

No, because an anecdote does not data make.

[aestra]

Except that parents, caregivers, and strangers treat baby girls different than they treat baby boys.

And they usually dress them differently (girls get girl clothes, boys get boy clothes).

http://www.newsweek.com/why-parents-may-cause-gender-differe...

[saraid216]

I know a father who claims that his daughter does math specifically because she knows it makes him happy.