Even though they could stand or speak, babies do not understand what sex was female or male. Understand the new kid after he was able to learn the masculine and feminine behavior of the surrounding environment, such as his friends.

According to Albert Bandura and Bussey in the book Children of gender identity development of children occurs through observation and imitation behavior done by others, as well as by the attitude of the preferred or not preferred by the individuals of their gender.

With age, children start hanging out with friends his age and he will start studying the behavior of masculine and feminine than their peers.

The girls will be busy playing house or dolls along with other female friends, while boys clustered playing at war, running to and fro with a cap pistol.

And usually, when children begin to know what sex they are reluctant to play with friends of different gender. As a result, it is sometimes difficult to integrate these children to play together because they tend to prefer playing alone in the absence of fellow gender.

If allowed, then the child can grow into a person who is less supple, voters, in fact, less able to empathize with others outside the gang of play.

Laurence Kohlberg, cognitive theory known as Cognitive Developmental Theory of Gender, states that teaching children about gender occurred after the child is able to think and realize their gender, whether he is female or male.

When they realize it, children will tend to choose activities, objects, and behaviors according to gender. As a result, a child will think, ‘I was a girl, so I will do things that are liked by my girlfriends’.

According to Kohlberg, children reach the stage of the so-called gender identity at the age of 2 years. At this time a child is unable to name their own sex, whether he called the female or male.

When a child aged about 4 years he has been able to realize that gender was not going to change, this condition into the gender stability stage. However, at this time the child’s ability is still limited to external features such as clothing and hair. Boys at this age might say, ‘If I wear a skirt, mean girls. I do not want to be a woman! ‘.

Only in the third stage, namely gender konstansi stage occurs when a child aged around 6-7 years. At this stage the child will be able to understand that their gender will remain the same throughout his life, although the style of dress, haircut, or the activities undertaken to change.

The role of parents is needed to guide the development of the child in the child’s gender. What parents can do include:

1. Teach your child about feminine and masculine behavior is appropriate and suitable performed by children according to sex, and physical attributes that match a certain gender (for example, long hair is more suitable for girls, while the cropped hair is more suitable for boys) .

2. Introduce and encourage children to socialize with peers of both sexes, and allow him to play with friends like. Children will learn about the roles of each gender of the children his age.

3. Teach children not to be aggressive and rude. Often the boys are encouraged to be more daring and aggressive physically. Actually, a more positive way is by encouraging them to be more assertive but not aggressive physically, whether with friends or friends of the opposite kind of sex.