Final answer:
The family is reinforcing gender norms by engaging in practices that conform to traditional gender roles and expectations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fact that parents name their children Tom or Mary, dress them in pants or dresses, and send out birth announcements as blue or pink reflects that the family is reinforcing gender norms. These actions conform to traditional gender roles and expectations, with boys being associated with masculine characteristics and girls with feminine characteristics. By adopting these gender-specific practices, the family upholds and perpetuates societal ideas about appropriate behaviors and roles based on one's gender.