Stereotypes

Being a parent of an only child has me thinking a lot of this specific stereotype.  An only child is: not social, not good at sharing, doesn't do well in team sports, will never have a successful adult relationship, the parents spoil them, the parents are too involved..... the list is endless.  Some of them are little out there but you get the idea. 

We are currently researching schools for Kollin.  One of the first questions they ask is how many kids we have.  I don't know exactly why but it seems like a key question.  It makes me wonder if they are immediately seeing him as the stereotypical only child. 

No one wants their child to be typecast. My life for him consist of fighting those stereotypes.  He is social, he makes compromises, he listens well to authority figures, he plays well with other children, he is a good kid. There are a lot of things we are able to do because we have "only one" that others are not able to do. We are so very thankful for this.

As I fight this stereotype it makes me think of the ones I have fought for myself.  The stereotypical girl/woman, the stay-at-home mom/working mom, Mormon/Non Mormon, tattoos, supporter of gay (human) rights... again, the list is endless.  We all have things we have to struggle with to make us who we are.  We learn from our past and build on it to make a better future.

My hope is that I will be able to rise above ALL stereotypes. I want to know people for who they truly are; not what I believe they should be.