James is in the role-play area. He selects a pink dress to wear. The practitioner tells him 'pink is for girls', but his determined smile shows that James intends to wear it anyway. Another practitioner joins them and quietly confirms his choice.
After spending some time in front of the mirror at the 'hairdresser's', James puts on a pair of high-heeled shoes. He pats his dress, holds out the skirt and begins to sway and dance.
The practitioner spots this and suggests they go to the carpet and find some music to dance to. Other children join them and James dances slowly and gracefully to the music. The adult joins in with the dancers and comments positively on James' dancing skills while encouraging other boys to join in. Two boys decline, but stay to watch.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here