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How does gender identity develop?
Here is what you can typically expect at different ages: 2 to 3 years old: At around 2 years old, children are aware of differences between boys and girls. Most children can identify themselves as a “boy” or “girl”. This term may or may not match the assigned sex at birth. Some children’s gender identity remains stable over their life, while others may alternate between identifying themselves as “boy” or “girl”, or even assume other gender identities at different times (sometimes even in the same day). This is normal and healthy. 4 to 5 years old: While many children at this age have a stable gender identity, gender identity may change later in life. Children become more aware of gender expectations or stereotypes as they grow older. For example, they may think that certain toys are only for girls or boys. Some children may express their gender very strongly. For example, a child might go through a stage of insisting on wearing a dress every day, or refusing to wear a dress even on special occasions. 6 to 7 years old: Many children begin to reduce outward expressions of gender as they feel more confident that others recognize their gender. For example, a girl may not feel that she has to wear a dress every day because she knows that others see her as a girl no matter what she wears. Children who feel their gender identity is different from the assigned sex at birth may experience increased social anxiety because they want to be like their peers, but realize they don’t feel the same way. 8 years old and up: Most children will continue to have a gender identify that matches the assigned sex at birth. |