Blue, Pink, or Yellow?

Abstract

Gender is a core components of a child’s identity. But in deciding whether or not to paint the new nursery pink or blue, are parents responding to a child’s gender or helping to shape it? Science reveals that gender-based behavior is influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors that include a parent’s subtle or not so subtle signals of what is means to be male or female. New research is also beginning to surface that suggests that early parental support for transgender children may prevent some of the emotional turmoil that might otherwise occur. How children develop their sense of gender identity and how parents can support and facilitate this process without excessive influence is the focus of this chapter.