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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think crocodile pajamas are unisex and perfectly suitable for DD?

185 replies

CockyFox · 16/05/2013 12:32

This morning I went to Tesco to get DS and DD some pajamas, DD didn't want any of the girls pajamas (cats, cakes, butterflies etc on them) so I said we would look the other side of the shelf for some for DS and go somewhere else for hers.

On the Boy side we selected some with monkeys on for DS and DD saw some with green and blue crocodiles on, and said she liked those. They had her size so I picked up the pack and asked her if she was sure those were the ones she wanted. She was sure so I popped them in the basket at which point an very friendly assistant who had been setting out shoes told me the Girls pajamas were around the other side of the display, I said thank you but we were fine. Then while i was selecting myself some knickers she appeared with a pack of pink pajamas and asked me if DD preferred those. DD bless looked at me and said 'I like crocodiles' so just said again no, we are fine and walked away.

I am sure IANBU, but do you think I am and if I am could somebody please explain what makes crocodiles unsuitable for girls? I am not bothered by the shop assistant she probably has really girly daughters and thought I was trying to make a point and was making sure the crocodiles weren't being forced on DD.

OP posts:
DontAskIDontKnow · 16/05/2013 21:30

DD 2.2 years is upstairs (hopefully asleep) in bed wearing Tesco crocodile pyjamas, or as she calls them her snip-snaps.

I went in to Tesco to buy her some pyjamas, looked at the girls section and could not contemplate buying any of them, so I went to the boys section and was delighted to see some lovely pyjamas with one of DD's favourite animals on them. She loves them, which helps when getting her ready for bed.

She has a doll that I bought her. I don't like them myself, but it's about her personality, which is caring, funny and stubborn. Baby Helga (she's German) is very well looked after. Now trying to buy non-pink dolls clothes, that's a challenge!

Passmethecrisps · 16/05/2013 21:36

Hmm sock. You've got me thinking.

The anti-iron issue is all about me really. If she was a boy I wouldn't prevent him from having cars or trucks if wanted.

I'm just going to need to suck it up if that's what she wants.

I would be astonished mind you given how rarely she will ever see these things!

SirBoobAlot · 16/05/2013 21:39

I'd have flipped my lid.

Hope your DD loves her crocodile pajamas. DS is sleeping in frilly ballerina ones tonight.

gallicgirl · 16/05/2013 21:50

You were very restrained OP. I'd have probably asked what the anatomical difference was between boys and girls that necessitates different clothing at such a young age. (Other than genitals obviously).

I think I'm going to start emailing stores whenever I see draft gender separation just so they know how disappointed I am.

ZebraOwl · 16/05/2013 22:24

YANBU & the crocodile jammies are awesome.

WRT gender-neutral clothing, it's worth checking out Threadless for t-shirts. You look for designs you like, no choice of tshirt colour & no boys/girls. (They do divide adult wear into "guys" & "girly" but that's sizes not designs so am more inclined to forgive them.) The limited print runs can be annoying & if you live outside the US it's worth waiting for offers on international postage - & checking which designs are in the lower price bands/waiting for one of their pretty-frequent sales.

The whole Pink Is For Girls thing has apparently been dinned into some people so hard they think it applies to animals too. Thankfully, no-one's told the animals, so Mr Nijinsky is very happy with his pink food&water dish. Seriously, though: "I thought both your cats were boys" "um, yes, they are" "so why's one of them got a pink bowl then?" There are no words.

IneedAsockamnesty · 16/05/2013 22:26

Passme,

Boys can play with any toys no matter what colour they are

Girls can also play with any toys no matter what colour they are.

I wouldn't bat an eyelid at a girl playing with a fire engine or a dinosaur nor at a boy playing with a tiny tears or a pink ladybug pram.

Surely the whole point of not pushing certain things on girls or boys is that all toys are just toys and all colours are just colours and can be used by all children.

IneedAsockamnesty · 16/05/2013 22:26

But yep an iron in my house would be weird as well.

LadyBeagleEyes · 16/05/2013 22:29

Yes, Op was very restrained,Gallicgirl, she said nothing to a minimum wage Tesco employee who was trying to be helpful.
Good for her.

SarahAndFuck · 16/05/2013 22:34

I want those Boden Tiger pyjamas - for me.

WafflyVersatile · 16/05/2013 22:47

Last time I was shopping for a newborn it was all 'mummy's little princess' for girls and 'daddy's little monster' for boys. Expectations of behaviour already set out from day one. Sad

Passmethecrisps · 16/05/2013 22:49

Also has dibs on tiger jammies.

socks couldn't agree more. I am letting myself fall into a bit of a 'she can have what ever toy she likes as kind as it falls into my idea of appropriate even if the intention was good.

We will just have to wait and see!

StuntGirl · 17/05/2013 00:27

I am currently wearing tiger jammies right now and they are my favourite pyjamas Grin

MyShoofly · 17/05/2013 00:39

YADNBU...before we knew what gender we were having For DS1, I did the nursary up in a friendly dragon theme - all kinds of people commented how boy-specific it was. How sad...dragons are fun....surely they should be fun for boys and girls alike?

I don't mind dolls and pink and such but find it horrid that toy/departement stores are gender divided...it limits our boys as well as our daughters.

showtunesgirl · 17/05/2013 00:48

It's odd really isn't it how people think that certain clothing should be gender specific.

DD's favourite coat is her Gruffalo coat and everyone always thinks that she is a boy when she's wearing it. Why can't there be female Gruffaloes? After all, how did the Gruffalo's Child (who is a girl) come about? Grin

ZebraOwl · 17/05/2013 00:50

(On a side note, am v annoyed Mini Boden no longer comes up to age 14. Johnnie B is more expensive & less awesome: I want the giraffe PJs! Actually, I wonder if the boys' sizes come up bigger than the girls' do...)

When my niece was very wee (she's v nearly 2y7m so still wee, but a very leggy thing) my sister & I were very annoyed all the Tigger stuff was aimed at boys. And people got weirdy over a girl being in Awesome Tigger Onesies. Apparently they don't know that Piglet's a boy too...

claremp7 · 17/05/2013 04:34

I love this thread.
My problem and I can see it already even though DD is only twelve weeks old is going to be the IL's.
They have an obsession that she is only allowed dolls and "girly" toys. No lego, football or nerf guns are allowed for her.
My and her are sport mad and football mad but apparently she's not going to be!
Well excuse me but my little girl can be whatever she wants to be. If that means a house full of pinkification then that's fine but equally bring on the cars and lego.
Why do our children have to fit in certain boxes?!
I have to admit though I have bought her a few pink girly dresses but she also looks very cute in her jeans and t shirt from "boys" section!

FanjoPaterson · 17/05/2013 09:12

DD-just-2 is living in checked flannelette shirts and plain dark jeans with lacky-sided boots, with her lovely curly soft hair in two pigtails.
I'm constantly asked why my 'little man' "hasn't had his hair cut, he looks like a girl"
Their faces when I reply " [hmmm] that's because she is a girl..." Are both insulting and priceless.

Pink stinks.

DBro pulls it off better than any girl I've seen, anyway.

edwardsmum11 · 17/05/2013 09:15

I get my 20mth old son the peppa pig onesies from asda... I don't see the issue.

KatAndKit · 17/05/2013 09:19

I don't have time to read the whole thread so i apologize if someone else has pointed this out but....

Half of all crocodiles must surely be female?! Same with dogs, dinosaurs, and also half of all cats must be male?

Tingalingle · 17/05/2013 09:27

How I regret the demise of the KidsStuff clothing company.

No boy/girl nonsense from them, everything in the catalogue (possibly barring the skirts? can't remember if they had any) was shown on boys, girls and often teddy bears alike -- we have some great pics of DD and both DSs in sheep, fish, rainbow stripy and dinosaur PJs with a teddy wearing teeny matching ones.

Some of their PJs did all three children without looking threadbare.
Presumably that's why they went out of business, come to think of it -- nothing ever, ever wore out...

Tingalingle · 17/05/2013 09:29

KitKat -- actually if I'm remembering correctly, crocodiles change sex depending on hatching temperature...

MiaowTheCat · 17/05/2013 09:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FreudiansSlipper · 17/05/2013 09:32

that would piss me off

i have a ds and although i am aware of the gender stereot types there seems to be far more pressure on young girls to look and act a certain way

Stinkyminkymoo · 17/05/2013 09:41

I'm sure she was just trying to be helpful, but since when was a mother incapable of buying her own children's clothes?

What has society come to now that girls can only wear pink sparkly shit?

Annoys me no end Angry

FreudiansSlipper · 17/05/2013 09:43

pinkstinks is a great website :)