Friday, January 27, 2012

Overheard in a MiM car

[On the way to 4-year-old son's doctor appointment]

MiM: We're going to the doctor's! Do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?

Son: I can't.

MiM: Why do you say that?

Son: (Pause)...are there daddy doctors?

MiM: Yup. There are daddy doctors.

Son: OK, (with glee) I want to be a doctor!

9 comments:

  1. I wish there were a way to "like" blog posts.

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  2. Great story. And reminds us of the importance of balance and role models and making sure kids understand the full range of what they can do.

    My version:
    3 year old daughter walks past family room as we are watching an NCAA men's basketball tournament game, does a double take, comes back and says, "Mom, Dad, did you know that BOYS can play basketball?"

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  3. My daughter also thinks only women can be doctors.

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  4. This is awesome. When I was a kid, I once told a pediatrician that she couldn't be a doctor "because she was a woman". (/hang head in shame) I'm glad that the tide is turning.

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  5. The fact that half of all medical school students are women just thrills me beyond belief. As recently as the mid-70s we girls were being steered into nursing or anesthesia work; never encouraged to become a doctor in our own right.

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  6. My son had the same misconception. Hard to blame him; all the doctors he knows are women.

    --R3, IM

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  7. Love it! Shared that one!

    It's the subtle social stereotypes that are the worst.

    Well-done Mum!

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  8. My almost four year old daughter has only experienced female pediatricians. We recently moved to a new area and her doctor is a male. At a recent doctor's appointment, the female nurse left the room, the male doctor walked in and with a very puzzled look on her face, she asked him, "Where did the doctor go?"

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