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During the preschool period of childhood, age three through six years old, children begin to develop their sense of self (Holden, 2015). Toddlers learn early on from their parents whether to label themselves as a boy or as a girl, but during the preschool years they begin to better understand what that means (Holden, 2015). They learn that boys turn into men and girls grow into women (Holden, 2015). As they begin to discover gender identity, they also become aware of gender-stereotyped toys and activities and they cling tightly to them (Holden, 2015). Toddlers pressure their peers into conforming to gender stereotypes even before they reach the age of three. They exhibit rigid beliefs and behavior surrounding gender appearance and play (Holden, 2015). For instance, girls should wear feminine clothes and ‘girl’ colors like pink and purple, jewelry, and participate in house play and dolls (Holden, 2015). Boys ought to wear ‘boy’ clothes and partake in games involving vehicles and guns (Holden, 2015). Children that refuse to conform to the expectations of their designated gender group are often ridiculed and criticized by their peers (Holden, 2015). Another aspect of gender beliefs in preschool age children is that of sex-segregation; children gravitate towards only playing with children of their same sex (Holden, 2015).

Gender roles are also learned from the behaviors that parents model for their children (Holden, 2015). For example; division of labor. Mothers tend to participate in more childcare responsibilities as well as chores like cooking and cleaning, whereas fathers tend to perform more strenuous chores like mowing the lawn or taking out the trash (Holden, 2015). Other differences include the way that parents speak to their sons compared to the way they speak to their daughters, disciplinary practices, and behavioral expectations (Holden, 2015).

G., Holden. Parenting : A Dynamic Perspective. Sage Publications, 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452204000