Maren Morris Shares a Story About a Conversation on Gender Roles, Saying Boys Shouldn’t Be Told to “Toughen Up”
By Website Content Manager
The singer-songwriter talked about the exchange in a TikTok video posted on Sunday, April 5.
Maren Morris recently shared a story about a conversation she had with a man regarding gender roles and ideas of masculinity.
In a TikTok video posted on Sunday, April 5, the 35-year-old singer-songwriter reflected on a discussion with a “male acquaintance” and also spoke about how she is raising her 6-year-old son, Hayes Andrew. In the caption, she expressed appreciation for the support system helping her raise her child, including friends, other mothers, and women without children.
Morris explained that the conversation with the acquaintance became tense as they discussed parenting in the South. She said she believes gender stereotypes can begin with small, everyday ideas—such as the belief that certain colors or interests are tied to one gender, like the notion that “girls can like pink” or “boys shouldn’t like Spider-Man.”
She emphasized that she actively works to correct those ideas in her son’s environment, noting that children often quickly accept the correction and move past those beliefs.
According to Morris, the man dismissed her concerns and suggested that boys “need to toughen up.” She said that while she initially felt upset, she responded calmly, disagreeing with the idea that her son needed to be hardened in that way.
Morris described her son as kind and expressive, sharing that he enjoys activities like baseball, musicals, Hamilton, painting his nails, making jewelry, and creating friendship bracelets. She stressed that he is “a person” who should not be shamed for his interests.
She added that her son is learning emotional awareness, saying he can recognize and express feelings like frustration or overwhelm and take time to calm himself when needed.
The Grammy winner also thanked her support system for helping her raise her son and highlighted the importance of emotionally safe adults in children’s lives. She noted that while older generations were often taught to suppress emotions, especially in boys, she sees hope in how younger children are being raised with more emotional openness.