Final answer:
Children learn about gender roles at a young age through socialization, and by age 3, they display knowledge of gender stereotypes. This knowledge is acquired through play and parental influence.
Step-by-step explanation:
Children learn at a young age that there are distinct expectations for boys and girls. Cross-cultural studies reveal that children are aware of gender roles by age two or three. At four or five, most children are firmly entrenched in culturally appropriate gender roles. Children acquire these roles through socialization, a process in which people learn to behave in a particular way as dictated by societal values, beliefs, and attitudes.
One way children learn gender roles is through play. Parents typically supply boys with trucks, toy guns, and superhero paraphernalia, while daughters are often given dolls and dress-up apparel. Studies have shown that children will most likely choose to play with gender appropriate toys (or same-gender toys) even when cross-gender toys are available because parents give children positive feedback for gender normative behavior.