re: "I wanted my son to reject masculine stereotypes. Then he fell in love with tractors"

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This is moronic. No parent should push their children into, or away from, things due to stereotypes, but if the kid happens to like stereotypical things, leave them the frick alone. It’s not about you.

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I had difficulty understanding my son’s interest in tractors, and at first, I tried to nudge Avishai toward different videos and clothing. But then I remembered how hard it was for my father to trust me to follow my passions, and the way we connected after he finally did. I took on being an at-home father because I wanted to bond with my son, and I realized that meant I needed to let him discover his own interests. He had to define his own identity, not influenced by my own bias of what I deemed to be too masculine.

I started taking joy in his joy. He radiates wearing his shirts emblazoned with diggers and dozers and excavators. At 3 ½ years old, he can name dozens of types of tractors (I always thought there was only one). He makes up quasi-gibberish tractor stories, sings quasi-gibberish tractor songs. Together, we clean the living room: He uses his tractors to put all his toys away. Sometimes my dad comes over and we drive tiny plastic machinery from room to room. My son beams. My dad beams. I beam, too.

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My dad beams.

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And when he leaves, his dad weeps at what has become of his son

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After his employees started selling home-manicure sets as a side hustle, my father spent nights sitting at the kitchen counter beautifying his nails.

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The sad thing is, if his daughter started liking tractors he'd have been thrilled.

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I wanted my son to reject masculine stereotypes. Then he fell in love with tractors

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It's a peek into insanity.

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