Oh, how interesting this conversation is getting...
ROFL at DH and DS out-toddlering each other.
I have to say, I agree with many of you. I also think that girls and boys should grow up eing told that they can do whatever they want. A boy can become a florist, a girl can become a mechanic, if that's where their passions lie. Hugging and kissing and general tenderness and compassion is something I would want to instill into both boys and girls.

My DH - as much as I love him - can be very childish, too. And to be honest, sometimes it bugs me that I always have to be the adult in our relationship. I'm the one who deals with money (and trust me, with his maths skills, I wouldn't want him to do it). I'm the one who usually wears the pants. And you know what, I wish I didn't have to. It has nothing to do with spiders. He usually deals with them as I'm not familiar with Australian spiders. But it has to do with general responsibilities.

On the subject of women going backwards in some respect. I actually agree. We seem to manage to further and hinder ourselves at the same time. Yes, we do have more choices these days. With these choices come a lot more responsibilities, too. But at the same time, we seem to be quite efficient in reducing each other and ourselves to very superficial values. We don't seem to value our intellect and are more worried about physical appearance and status symbols (present company excluded, of course).
I have myself given the subject of commenting on my daughter's looks a lot of thought. She is absolutely gorgeous, of course. But I don't want her to ever think that being beautiful is important. So I try to limit the comments I make about her looks. Of course, in appropriate moments, I will say: "don't you look gorgeous with that hairclip (or with green marker all over your face )!" But I am very aware of not making too big a deal of her looks. They are merely passing comments, I wouldn't even call it praise. To me praise is something you can earn. But your looks are not something you have achieved, they are pure luck. I also make sure that I do praise her for her accomplishments all the time. I make a much bigger deal out of that then out of her looks IYKWIM.

Saša