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We encountered many cool critters while in Florida, including snakes and alligators and crocodiles and lizards and other creatures that make people squirmy and uncomfortable. But not, Sunny. No! She adored them all. She got to meet her Ally IRL. And she even pet a baby alligator. See below for proof.

On one excursion, we took her to a nearby petting zoo, and upon seeing Sunny, the handler brought out all the furry beasts in the room – bunnies and guinea pigs – and left the slivering, crawling variety in their tanks. Shortly after, when a herd of 2-4 year old boys galloped in the room, the handler opened all the lizard tanks. I couldn’t help put wonder if she’d just assumed (unconsciously) that the little girl would only be interested in the fuzzy, cuddly animals, and boys in the scaled and creepy reptiles. At that age, kids should be exposed to as much as possible, and certainly would have interest in both. They learn to NOT have interest when we limit their exposure based on gendered assumptions.

Le sigh.

This was then reinforced when we moved to the drawing table, and the handler hunted and hunted for a coloring page for Addison. She passed pages with snakes and alligators and spiders (all of which Sunny would have enjoyed) until she landed on a page with a butterfly. Meanwhile, the little boys were handed the pages with the reptiles and arachnids.

I doubt the handler acted intentionally in any of this. THAT is how ingrained the genderization of our behavior and treatment of children is.

Fortunately, Sunny has a daddy and a grandfather who relish in sharing all manner of creatures with her, and a mommy that doesn’t cower in fright when confronted with slimy, scaly, slithery critters. While I may not catch such animals for her to see, you won’t find me hiding in the other room or atop a table when they are in her presence. It’s a start, and a push back on the butterflies and bunnies.

Not that she shouldn’t love butterflies and bunnies equally as well as snakes and spiders, of course.