I’m not exactly sure why it is, but just because I happened to have a girl, I seemed to have to fight everyone about us not wanting a bunch of pink and purple “girly” toys. In fact, it was almost a regular debate about that and why I didn’t dress her in more pink and “girly” outfits with ridiculously large bows and headbands. (Girl is only wearing dresses because they’re the easiest during diaper changes).
My responses have typically been something along the lines of
a) I want my daughter to be aware of all colors of the rainbow
b) She’s a kid – she should be playing with ALL kid toys, not just ones that are geared specifically toward girls
c) I’m not a girly girl and I don’t intend to raise her as one. I am seeking balance
d) If I (miraculously) convince hubby to let me have baby #2 and (hoping) we have a boy, I want to be able to hand current toys down – not be forced to start completely over
It never fails that someone believes she’s going to be into all the princess stuff because I’m not. And I say, when she’s old enough to tell me she wants pink princess-y toys with all the frills (shoot me), then I have to deal with it.
I am just hoping to instill normal behaviors and work on normal development – she’ll have plenty of external influences to help further shape her into the young woman she’s destined to be, but I will NOT be pushing that girlie stuff on her myself. I just want her to be a kid, plain and simple.
The extremist in me – I’m an Aries, after all – has already said that when it comes time to get Barbie (if she has to have one of these) a Barbie car, we’re taking it out of the box, rushing it to the garage, and painting it black. No one is ever allowed to drive a pink car in this house, and we’re certainly not letting Barbie get away with it either …
What’s your stand?
5 comments
I think you're choice is awesome! The important time to dress a girl in pink is when people can't tell she's a girl… But there are lace and ribbons and ruffles… I didn't always dress my baby girl in pink, but there were always some sort of girl style to her clothes. All the colors of the rainbow should adorn a beautiful child!
Oh my goodness, I agree with you fully. I have a boy and I buy him dolls and stuffed animals to play with along with his toy cars (he's 1) and dress him in gender neutral colors. People have made comments before, that I need to dress him more like a man and I'm like – no I don't! He's a baby! Before I mess him up with all sorts of gender roles, I'm going to allow him to discover what he likes in terms of colors or trucks vs. teddy bears, etc. Do what works for you. I'm personally sick of seeing little girls decked out in frilly pink ruffles and bows. I'm hoping to have a girl next and I plan to dress her in her brother's old gender neutral rompers.
I wish I could "like" your comments. Baby girl has dolls, stuffed animals, cars and trucks. We've been fortunate that she likes cars and she's able to relate to little boys, not just little girls (so far)
My daughter turned 4 this year – she wore gender neutral and boy's and girl's clothes – played with boy's and girl's toys – I requested 'primary' colours – bright colours – no pastels – and when she was old enough to speak her own mind (2.5 years) she informed me her favorite colours are pink and purple – and why didn't she have anything pink? Now she is all about princesses and pink and purple…her choice because she sees these things outside our home and I avoided providing her with them as much as possible…if I had to do it over again – I would state my preference and then let people get what they wanted – perhaps if I had balanced the pink and purple a bit more equally with the gender neutral and "boy's" colours – my little girl wouldn't be obsessed with all things pink and purple at age 4…everything with moderation…should have been my 'goal' 🙂 My second child is a boy (he is 2) and I am letting him play with all the pink and purple his little heart desires…lol
Good luck with your littles 🙂
Visiting from the UBC.
Rhondda
Oombawka Design
I imagine there may be no avoiding it altogether. Some people have given her some "girlie" things. A pink shopping cart – couldn't understand why but kept it anyway.
I've put my foot down on no Disney Princess toys (again, until she can determine for herself she "needs" those).
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