Classifying gender roles

As I was watching this touching video from Sigur Ros I began thinking about stereotypical gender roles and how they affect children while growing up.

I've never much conformed to these gender roles nor pushed or even believed in them.

I grew up a sort-of tomboy. I idolized my brother and would rather play with his Star Wars toys than my sister's Barbie's. I shared a room with two of my sisters growing up and one day, I got so angry at them I packed up my stuffed animals and moved into my brother's room. My punishment from my sisters was to lock me out of the house for 3 hours one day.

My best friends since childhood have usually been male. And now, although I'm not a girly girl by any means, I am a relatively "normal" 25ish woman. I like my jeans and filp flops but like to dress up every now and then.

Then there is my daughter. She IS quite the girly girl and loves to dress up, have her nails done, wear makeup and play with her Barbies. I have no idea where she gets it. However, she also likes playing with her cousins' paintball guns, driving their go-carts, and getting dirty. But nothing she's interested in is going to define her gender role. And nothing should.

I don't think that just because a boy liked to dress up in his mom's dresses or played with dolls when he was younger is going to make him gay. Just like me being a tomboy or my daughter playing with paintball guns isn't going to make us gay.

Why is society afraid of letting children step outside gender roles? Why must we be forced to conform to a standard society has put on us and not be who we really are?

I find it disturbing when parents force their children to play with certain types of toys or do certain activities so they will "turn out a certain way." To me, in doing so will only stifle individualism and character. We can't force kids to be who they are or to be happy.

The secret to raising happy, healthy children is to just let them be who they are. In a perfect world, society will accept everyone for who they are and who they love and what they believe in.