No nimic, I do understand totally how society 'guides' us all, not just children. But you have to be able to cut through all of that and do what you think is correct for their upbringing based on how you see them developing. No, we have not (intentionally) influenced their choices, probably not as much as their friends have, we're pretty open minded parents.
I don't, however, see a problem with children falling into male / female social pathways to a degree if that is what they want because that is what their friends are doing, I don't it as an automatically a bad thing. Obviously I'm not encouraging my daughter to be subservient to male influence or buying her toy irons and kitchens but nor am I steering her away from anything fluffy and pink if it what she is asking for.
It's got to be balanced. It's got to be fun for them. I think children turn into what they will turn into ultimately and as a parent you have to be able to keep up with them and the changes they go through. As long as those changes fall within the 4 points I made earlier then we're all good.
My son (15) for instance has changed massively over the last 12 months and turned into a very masculine young man. That's not society nor us as parents, that is his biology and physical and mental development. We've watched and enjoyed this process and he has begun to forge his own path and turn into the young man he will become.