The way we speak to kids shapes their ideas about gender

Most parents understand that it’s unhelpful to tell a small boy not to cry.

Or tell a little girl she’s pretty.

But what about other, more subtle, differences in the ways we speak to our boys and girls?

Annabelle Lukin in an Associate Professor in Linguistics at Macquarie University.

She says language is both powerful and complex, and you might be surprised at what the words you speak can do to shape your child’s ideas about what it means to be a boy or a girl.

Listen to Annabelle Lukin on Feed Play Love: 

You can find more of Annabelle’s work at The Conversation. 

Find more great stories and expert advice in the Feed Play Love podcast. Available in Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.