My daughter has a 1 yr. old son and I bought him a play kitchen for Christmas. He wanted to help his Mom mop the floor so I bought him a toy mop. I have a child apron with his name on it so he can help Gandma cook. I thought her husband might have something to say but he didn't.

That man lived at home until he was 27 and his mother was still doing his laundry. If he had to live on his own he would starve.

I was never one to believe Gender should be an issue and that's how I raised my kids.

My son had a Cabbage Patch Doll named Tyler. He and his sister had a play kitchen. But on the other hand my daughter played with his GI Joe toys and watched Dukes of Hazzrd with him. They both turned out just fine.

When my son went away to college he knew how to cook, clean, bargin shop and do laundry. Which is a good thing because his wife can't do any of it.

Throw away the Gender nonsense and your kids become better people.

But, please forgive me for saying that Women tend to be worse drivers. But, they have good reason they are looking for the best parking spot at the store.

My husband and I took a class together, and he was the only guy in the class. I make most of the cakes now because he is at work and I am home (with our 3 kids), but I don't think I could do it without him. He is a big help in helping me plan and come up with creative ideas (instead of doing a barbie in the dress with the wondermold pan for our last class, we wound up doing a Ken in drag.) Also for sculpting cakes he is WAY faster. I shave little tiny bits off forever, and he hacks away at it and it always turns out great.

Every one of my classes had like one dude in them. Each guy was always the same, too. The drivel-faced guy that you could just TELL in high school had a pocket protector, but he'd like grown up and gotten contacts, a decent hair cut/style---and had some poor woman move his "style" up from Wal-Mart to Kohl's or whatever.

In each class it was a different dude---but they were essentially the same. Anyway--he was always super respectful and blushed easily. I personally think that the reason they took the classes in the first place was out of some misplaced need for female bonding that was lacking in infancy or whatever. And they all tried really hard. Really. Did I personally think they were cut out for decorating? Well...no. But then again, who am I to say?

Ok. And as far as men being better drivers than women---nah. I see just as many of them with their head up their a$$es as women. In the 18-30 year olds, though---men DO speed more often, and practice more aggressive/wreckless driving. (You know the ones---thumping stereo, spoiler bigger than the car, ballcap cocked sideways, tinted windows with white letters displaying their stereo brand and trying to boast a nitrous tank, etc.)

Judging from the way those guys twist up their cars in a wreck after cutting off a 4 wheel drive F-150 Supercab though---they're definitely NOT better drivers.

--Knox--

Awwww....Nglez! That's so cool that you're getting your license! (Your Mom probably doesn't share my excitement for you. )

No--I don't picture you with a pocket protector...hmmm. Maybe more like Betty's little brother on Ugly Betty. But only more geared towards being a fabulous CAKE dude, instead of a fashion dude.

And you do already do amazing work! We're all rooting for you here at CC!

--Knox--

Well, I think my son is going to give me a run for my money in the decorating department! He is three and you should have seen how he fashioned a cactus after I did it. The wheels were REALLY turning, it was so cute. He used the spaghetti noodles just like mommy did and probably did a better job of it! Of course, this is the child who's mommy present for Christmas this year was a bunch of real baking stuff. He was THRILLED.

I hate to say it, but in the cooking dept I've met more men that are good cooks than women. My mom is the blandest cook in the world bless her heart.

However, ahem, men may be better at hand-eye coordination, but women are better at multi-tasking. I see more men than women swerving on the freeway while on the cell phone or jibberjabbering. What use is depth perception and hand-eye coordination if the littlest distraction is going to throw you off? So there!

But my husband is a hairdresser and I am the breadwinner, so stereotypes don't fly around here!

This thread is so funny. This kind of conversation has been going on for years. What's that song about "I can do anything you can do but better" ? About the gender thing and about the influence of toys on our children's gender or what not, I have to say I can give my little boys baby dolls and they might hug it for about 1 min. But it doesn't take long for my 4 or 7 yr old to start seeing how many times the sweet little baby will flip in the air when they throw it. Or trying to take the doll apart to see how the batteries go in. Because obviously to them, it's not really laughing. lol And vice versa, give my little girl an army man and all the sudden the little army man is domesticated and helping Barbie in the kitchen. lol.
Anyway, it's all in what you want to do. If it's what you like and you have a knack for it, why shouldn't you become the best you can be? Who know's? You might be the next best male cake decorator and have your own tv show. I wouldn't let something like gender classifications get in your way!