In Re the Marriage of Kleist

NEUMAN, Justice.

This dissolution of marriage action is before us on further review from a split decision in the court of appeals. That court reversed a custody ruling that would have given the mother primary care of the parties’ daughter. The reversal stemmed from the court of appeals’ view that the district court gave undue weight to the mother’s strongly *275held cultural beliefs, leading it to effectively reinstate the “tender years” doctrine long ago abandoned by this court.

Our de novo review leads us to conclude that the best interest of the child — not gender or cultural stereotyping —…