Children are not just seen and not heard. In 1895, the father of psychology, Sigmund Freud, had studied a case of a male child, who we here code name as The Boy, to protect his identity.
If children know their gender orientations from a very young age back in 1895, then this same assumption holds true (if not truer), now in the 21st century.
If such a child displays equal liking towards both gender, then the case analyst has to explain the circumstances and draw a conclusion.
In the case analysis of The Boy, his behavior shows he enjoys bonding with his mother by sleeping in her bed. He, at nearly 4 years old, also likes kissing his male cousin who is a teeny bit older at 5.
Some parents allow their baby or toddler to sleep with them in bed. This may awaken early sexual feelings although the child is very young. If the child attempts to broach on this topic, the adults decline to acknowledge this and instead teach repression of sensitive topics because of cultural taboos.
The Boy’s father did his own analysis and thought that the repression of sexual awakening caused anxiety, which was directed at The Boy’s new fear of horses. However, Freud offered another explanation for the phobia of horses. The Boy was known to play horse and cart with his peers and he was anxious whenever his playmates talked about The Horse.
Whatever The Boy’s source of anxiety may be, it has precipitated in anxious behavior towards horses and dreams.
Reference
Sigmund Freud The ‘Wolfman’ and Other Cases. 2002. Penguin Classics: Great Britain.
Other posts related to child & dreams:
Dream of a dog playing with children.
