The Blank Slate theory has been disproved and there's growing evidence supporting the gender differentiation theory (okay, I made that title up but you know what I mean). It basically means boys will be boys and girls will be girls.

Jack is definitely a boy's boy. He loves being swung around, run with while carried (discovered today), thrown up in the air, barely flinches when he falls, tears things, and pummels things. He screeches delightfully with any of that physical activity, even more when his Dad does it.

His first favourite stuffed toy is Mr Pterodactyl, an orange and yellow pterodactyl. He gnawed on Mr Pterodactyl's wings, arms, legs, beak, and the stuffed fella never minded. They were best friends. He's still around but now Tigger and another chappie mentioned below are his BFFs.

The first non-plush toy he chose for himself out of a bucket of toys my brother passed to me was a small rubber footfall. It entertained him for days. That was months ago. Interestingly enough, today he picked that same toy out from his toy basket and played with it for a while.

He loves his cousin's cars, tractors, trains, anything with wheels. And he adores her plastic golf club. Purple please, no green and yellow. And his favourite activity is swinging it around, narrowly missing my face several times.

The first toy he chose for himself in a store (actually a pushcart) was a small stuffed Jack from A Nightmare Before Christmas. We call him Mr Skeletor to avoid confusion. He loves opening his mouth wide and munching down on Mr Skeletor's face. It's strange but cute. :)

Here are some cool books on the topic:

The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature by Steven Pinker
Brain Child by Tony Buzan
Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph

Tags: baby 9 months, Jack, The Blank Slate, baby toys, motherhood, parenting