What it means to be a father has changed dramatically over recent years, but the old stereotype that dads are not as good as mums at taking care of their kids still lingers. This view is somewhat short-sighted to say the very least, because as recent studies now suggest, fathers are more involved in their children’s lives than ever before, and are just as capable as women when it comes to carrying out parental duties.

It’s therefore crucial that children get a balanced view of what it means to be a specific gender, which is why it’s so important to not ‘box them in’ to specific gender-based roles. In encouraging boys to do traditionally female activities/tasks and vice versa we can equip our children with skills that will empower them with the ability to take on any task/role with confidence. And we can achieve this by following these simple but effective steps:

• Avoid assigning typical gender roles to your children e.g. girls do the dishes and boys take out the rubbish. Try to mix things up as much as possible.

• Be encouraging when your boys want to help out around the house, this shows them that housework is something to take pride in and you’re also equipping them with practical skills that they’ll need to be self-reliant when they become adults.

• Give boys freedom by allowing them to play with any kind of toy that they like. Remember, there’s no rule to say that boys can play with dolls! Let boys be whoever they are supposed to be, whoever they were meant to be, and whoever they want to be.