[Cin]

Just for the record when I talk about encouraging nurturing skills in any child I am talking about helping a kid learn how to give support and encouragement to others. I am talking about teaching children how to give of themselves to another human being. Not to give exclusively and not to the detriment of oneself, which is what is often taught to female children, but to be supportive and encouraging to others, especially those people who we profess to love.

I think it is a great skill to have and learning to nurture others is often critical when trying to develop a loving relationship with another human being. It is also helpful in everyday life, at work and in daily interactions with others. Being able and willing to teach and encourage is very nurturing and fosters deep meaningful connections to other human beings. I am not talking about rearing one’s children, although learning to be nurturing in relationships will be helpful to that end as well.

But, as it is with so much in this world, it’s all about balance and learning limits. Being able to be a nurturing person does not mean you will always choose to nurture others. Of course, as with anything we attempt to teach to people, little people or big people, they may choose not to learn it and that is perfectly acceptable. I just think the option should be there and not just for female children. And it really, really, need not be taught by buying kids breast feeding dolls. Or any dolls for that matter. It probably should not be taught that way. Maybe even cannot be taught that way. Perhaps when people talk about ways to teach nurturing skills to little girls they are talking about something much different than I am when I speak of the need to learn to nurture other human beings.