On a completely different topic, I've been pondering the testosterone in my house. I have one son (Superhero) who is about to turn 5. He is surrounded by 3 sisters, one older and two younger. We like to think of ourselves as kinder, gentler people by nature. We tend not to be
very "macho", but consider ourselves more intellectuals. How on earth, then, did this child come to our house? Everything this boy does exudes testosterone. His favorite current pastime is dressing up in costumes, and since we have so many girls, there are a lot of "girly" costumes around the house. So, being a man of invention, he makes do. Having said that, he makes even a fairy look burly. Notice the lumberjack shirt, flannel pants and hiking shoes.I have enjoyed seeing the manhood emerge in this child without even trying. He adores his father, and from an early age has tried to copy everything his daddy does. Even when Daddy is away at work, he manages to be "utterly boy". He makes sticks into guns, and when I take them away for shooting his sisters, he simply makes his fingers into AK-47s and goes into secret operations mode.
He has never seen shooting, killing or overt violence in any movie or the few TV shows we allow him to watch, yet the desire to conquer, overtake and annihilate anything in his path is overpowering for him. And for me at times!
We have tried to impress the idea of chivalry upon him, and have encouraged dressing up as a knight, etc. thinking that this would appease his need to be "dangerous". But, most of the time the knight "accidentally" slays the fair maidens, instead of the dragon. I know this is normal. I know this is good. I just can't help thinking of a video I saw on you tube talking about the difference between male and female brains. Ponder that.
Until later, I, a fair maiden (and Queen Mum), am going to pursue my little knight (or G.I. Joe, Superman, Spiderman, Batman, whatever the superhero of the moment is) and try to let him be a rough tough and "dangerous" boy.
