Pseudonymous Kid learns the "F" word

Scene: the boys have returned from grocery shopping. Mr. B. hands me some toothpaste to take up to the bathroom. It has three Disney princesses on it and is pink, pink, pink.

Pseudonymous Kid: That's my new toothpaste.
Me: Yeah? Did you pick it out yourself?
Pseudonymous Kid: Yes. But please don't tell anyone about it.
Me: Why?
Pseudonymous Kid: Because they will laugh at me, because it looks like it is for girls.
Me: Well that's very silly if they laugh at you over that. It's just toothpaste, toothpaste isn't for boys or girls, it's for everyone.
Pseudonymous Kid: But boys aren't supposed to like princesses.
Me: Oh, PK, that's not true. That's like the stupid people who say boys aren't supposed to have long hair. It's ridiculous, you can like whatever you like.
Pseudonymous Kid: Well, none of the girls I know think that it's okay for boys to like things like that. Well, maybe only girls like Tante A. and Sheila (the babysitter). I don't know what they think.
Me: I can guarantee you that Tante A. does not think it's silly for boys to like princesses.
Pseudonymous Kid: Well, but all the girls in my school think things like that.
Me: Okay. PK, is it okay if we talk about this?
Pseudonymous Kid: Yes?
Me: Ok, listen up. There are a lot of people in the world who think that boys aren't supposed to like nail polish, or have long hair, or like princesses. And there are a lot of people in the world who think girls aren't supposed to like some things, either...
Pseudonymous Kid: Like what?
Me: Oh, they think girls aren't supposed to like rough play, or being loud, or being naughty, or stuff like that. Anyway, you're in school, and some of the kids you go to school with will think those things, because they have heard people say stuff like that. Just like you have heard people say that boys shouldn't like princesses. But those ideas are stupid, and they aren't true. People can like whatever they want. Some people think that men aren't supposed to take care of children, but your papa takes care of you. And some people think that mamas aren't supposed to have jobs, but your mama does. You can't let other people tell you what you're supposed to like.
Pseudonymous Kid: But what if the kids at school tease me?
Me: Well, when I was a kid, I got teased sometimes for liking boy things. Like I didn't like to wear dresses, and I always wore pants. And I liked math and science. And my sister really liked sports, and some people thought girls weren't supposed to like sports. And I can tell you what I did.
Pseudonymous Kid: What did you do?
Me: Well, when people teased me, I would just go like this. (Huge dramatic eye roll.) And I would say, whatever. That's just a dumb idea.
Pseudonymous Kid: And then would they not tease you?
Me: Well, it worked for me. Because, if you get all mad and argue with them and say "That's not true! I am too a boy!" then they know that it makes you mad. And if they want to tease you, they know that that is a good way to do it. But if you act like the whole thing is just (rolling eyes again) really really stupid, then that makes them feel silly, and they might leave you alone. That's how I dealt with it when people teased me. But maybe your papa had other ways of dealing with it, you should ask him too. (Turning to go outside for a smoke.)
Pseudonymous Kid: Papa, what did you do when kids teased you in school.....?

(I come back in a few minutes later.)
Me: Pseudonymous Kid, can we talk about this boys and girls thing a little bit more?
Pseudonymous Kid: Sure.
Me: Okay, let me explain something. A long time ago, before I was born, most people used to think that girls should be quiet, and pretty, and well-behaved all the time, and they should wear dresses and grow up to be mamas and take care of the house and not have jobs. And they thought that boys should be louder and boisterous, and they should grow up to work hard.
Pseudonymous Kid: I think someone told me this once. People thought girls should be lazy, and boys should work hard.
Me: Well kind of, yeah. Anyway, right about the time I was born, a lot of women decided that that was stupid. They wanted to have jobs, so they started arguing that they could too work. And they raised a lot of girls like me to do things that girls weren't "supposed" to do. But a lot of people thought that was wrong, and some of them raised their girls only to do girl things. And so girls like me, who were doing boy things too, we got teased. But we were right, and we had to learn not to let it bother us. And now, mostly, people think that girls can do whatever they want to do. But now it is the boys' turn. A lot of people think that boys aren't supposed to do girl things still, like have long hair or wear nail polish or whatever. But that's stupid too. You can do whatever you like. When your papa and I got married, your papa said, "I like taking care of little kids and cleaning the house." And I said, "I like having a job and earning money." So that's what we did. And there are still people who think that's wrong, but who cares what they think?
Pseudonymous Kid: Right. Because that's stupid. You can do whatever you want.
Me: Exactly. And that idea, that girls and boys can do whatever they want, that's called "feminism." Your papa and I are feminists, because we think it's silly to say that girls have to be one way and boys another way. The only difference between boys and girls is that boys have a penis and girls have a vagina. And you are a boy, because you have a penis. You will still have a penis, even if you wear dresses and paint your nails and have long hair and like princesses or whatever it is you want to do. And if people say you're not a boy because of those things, they're just being dumb.
Pseudonymous Kid: Right. And I'll tell them that's a stupid idea, and I don't care what they think.
Me: Good for you.

Scene: A few hours later. We're watching The Blues Brothers. The scene where Aretha Franklin is about to sing "Think" comes on.

Matt Guitar Murphy: Listen. I love you, but you are the woman and I am the man. And I am in charge of what I'm going to do with my life.
Aretha: You better think about what you're about to do. You better think...
Pseudonymous Kid: Mama, is he doing something wrong?
Me: Well... sort of yes and sort of no. He made a promise to her, and they are married. And now he wants to go off with the Blues Brothers and play in their band. He's right, because it is up to him what he's going to do with his life. But he's wrong, because that doesn't have anything to do with him being a man or her being a woman.
Pseudonymous Kid: Right. Because anybody can decide what they're going to do with their life.
Me: Right.
Aretha and the backup singers: Think! Think about what you're trying to do to me....
Pseudonymous Kid: All of the women in the restaurant think she's right.
Me: Well, it's kind of...
Pseudonymous Kid: Is this that feminism thing you were talking about earlier?