Hello! I’ve been lurking here for a while just observing and learning. This is my first post here so I hope I’m doing it right.

I have a story for y’all. So, I am a dental hygienist and I see the occasional child here and there. Well, a few weeks ago I had a boy and girl in to get their cleanings. They were about 6 (the boy) and 8 (the girl). Their cleanings went fine and both of them were sweet and delightful.

Afterwards, I escorted the children back to mom and the treasure box that children get to pick an item from after behaving for their cleaning. While I was picking up the box to bring to them, it dropped. Toys everywhere!

Both children ran forward and were about to start picking everything up to put it back into the box for me (very sweet) but mom grabbed the boy’s arm as he ran to help and yanked him away. She said something along the lines of “stay out of your sister and the hygienist’s way! Girls are better at cleaning so you’ll just get in the way.” I was floored.

The little boy of course became visibly upset because he was just trying to be helpful and the little girl grinned at him in a “ha! I’m better at this than you” way but all I could think of is how unfair and horrible it is to be forcing your misogynistic views down your two innocent children’s throats... I still think about them often and hope that the daughter will overcome her mother’s sexism and the boy will withstand the conditioning obviously being sprinkled over him. I have my doubts though.