Gender Role Insight Via The Fruit Loop Necklace
Boys and girls are vastly different as evidenced through disparate reactions toward a preschool rite of passage: the Fruit Loop necklace.
Sue brought hers home yesterday:
She was so proud to wear it, name all the colors, remark on how it matched her shoes. Every once in a while she would delicately take one bite of a sugary Loop. Yet she kept at least 12 circles intact for several hours, gingerly enjoying a loop here and there at a leisurely pace.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of Joseph’s similar necklace during Pre-K. He graced the pick-up line with a single blue Fruit Loop strung on a bit of yarn, his lips bearing a purply-green tint. “How come we never get really sweet cereal like this with all these colors?”
As for Edward? He appeared ready for after-school pick-up during Kindergarten with a wet piece of yarn stuck to his backpack.
“Is that yarn something important?” I queried. “Is it some sort of craft?”
“Nahh,” he replied, looking back at the limp yarn now littering the sidewalk, “I think it was supposed to be a necklace or somethin.’”
). I never would’ve guessed there’d be a difference in the way children approached them. I might be outside of the norm, I would’ve totally come home with a wet piece of yarn. Great story telling btw.
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