At dinner one night, your 4-year-old announces that she knows the difference between boys and girls. When you ask her what it is, she proudly states that girls sit when they go potty and boys stand, and she knows this because she was able to see into the boys' bathroom at preschool today. Your daughter's interest in differences between boys and girls probably indicates that she is in the

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The interest in the differences between boys and girls, and the specific example given by the 4-year-old, suggests that she is in the phallic stage of psychosexual development, according to Sigmund Freud's theory. This stage occurs between the ages of 3 and 6 and is characterized by a child's growing awareness of their own and others' gender identity, and the development of the Oedipus complex or Electra complex. The child becomes curious about the differences between the sexes and may engage in gender-typical behaviors and attitudes.

At Dinner One Night, Your 4-Year-Old Announces That She Knows