To think the anti-pink brigade can be a bit OTT

[NeedACleverNN]

I have noticed on here there are some people who refuse to allow their girls wear anything pink/sparkly/overly feminine. A lot of the reasoning seems to be because it sets women back 100 years etc etc and gender neutral stuff.

However the same people are eager to point out they don't care if their son wears it and in fact actively encourage them to do so.

AIBU to think pink is just a colour and if girls want to enjoy pink and princesses and babies and pushchairs they should be able to just as much as a boy can?

[Itinerary]

The problem with "just let them choose" is when 95 per cent of what a girl is given to choose from is pink and glittery, so she'll most likely choose something that is. It's not really much choice, like an election with only one candidate. Had she been given more variety, pink and glittery things may, or may not have, been what she'd like the best on that occasion.

[SurroMummy13]

If your child wants to wear pink, what's wrong with that.

[RupertPupkin]

I think the problem is that people still see toys as being more relevant to one gender than another. What on earth makes dinosaurs a "typical boys' toy"? It's mad. Who gets to decide that stuff? Can I be on the committee that makes these arbitrary decisions please?

[DinosaursRoar]

TBH, I wasn't overly bothered about the pink thing, and didn't really get it, until I had a girl for DC2, it was interesting how little non-pink choice there is in girls departments, that everything for girls seems to have to have a little bit of pink on it somewhere, the blue trousers still need to have pink buttons, the yellow cardie with pink thread for the buttons and pink bows etc. It became a challenge to find something in the girls department with no pink on it anywhere. Oddly, boys seem to be able to cope with a green or red item of clothing without feeling the need to add blue on it somewhere!

It's getting better, so I don't think it really matters as much for clothes anymore now more retailers have realised that it's ok to make non-pink girls clothes too, so pink is now just one of the colours DD wears, rather than something she always wears, although I do feel sad that there's a sea of different shades of pink in the packaging for girls toys, but there's not the same need to make everything blue in boys things.

[DinosaursRoar]

oh and I think as long as society is still closely associating the colour pink with girls (you get blue trousers for girls, you don't get pink for boys still), then it can be damaging to girls to tell them that pink is rubbish/bad/inferior colour - because it's so female, it's not a big leap from "pink is for girls. Pink is rubbish. Things for girls are rubbish. Things for boys are better. Boys are better."

[WorraLiberty]

I agree OP

Although in RL I've never heard of anyone being anti pink, or sending their son to school in a dress.

But Mumsnet rarely reflects my real life anyway thank goodness

[meditrina]

It's perfectly possible to quite like pink as a colour, but still deplore excessive pinkification.

And of course, it's all marketing anyhow, to reinforce totally unnecessary stereotyping of products so you buy twice if you have DC of both sexes.

[Coldtoeswarmheart]

I did used to complain about boy's toys for DS as I really did feel that 2 was too young to be starting with guns.

I don't really mind pink as DD suits it, but I do hate glittery frilly crap. And I'd rather she was in trousers or leggings so she's comfy and not restricted by a skirt. She has pink trousers, and for that matter pink shoes which are scuffed madly as girl's shoes are stupidly designed for sitting around in, not running around.

[Itinerary]

What on earth makes dinosaurs a "typical boys' toy"? It's mad. Who gets to decide that stuff?

Often it's the people who arrange a toy display into "boys" and "girls" sections instead of just one "toys" section. It's also self-perpetuating as once people get the message that certain toys are "for boys" then they'll be less likely to pick them for girls unless they consciously decide to reject the stereotypes. There is societal pressure including peer pressure from a child's friends who may say something is "for girls" or "for boys".

[Sparklingbrook]

I agree too OP. I had a quick look at PinkStinks. Just

[nocutsnobuttsnococonuts]

In an ideal shop we would just have 'childrens' clothes and toys rather than boys or girls however its never going to happen as while things can be marketed to seperate genders the companies make more money.

My dd's will happily choose from both sections in a shop. some days they might be dressed head to toe in glitter, princess tops and the much judged tutu and wellies then other days will be dressed as spiderman. then we have the very muddled outfits. Im happy as long as they are happy, im not keen on pink but its not me wearing it!!

What annoys me is the increasing fashion to dress little girls as mini me's with makeup, mini skirts/maxi dresses and impractical shoes. dd is 8 this year and finding clothes that are still child like is getting more difficult, she likes swishy dresses and her favourite characters on her tshirts!!

[AuntieStella]

"I never hear anyone complain about all the blue clothes there are for boys, nor do I hear anyone complain about their sons being encouraged to play with dinosaurs, super hero figures or other typical "boys toys".

You need to read more threads then!

Though for clothes, the complaint is usually about dull colours, skulls and pirates.

Letting clothes be clothes, and toys be toys would be a good thing. Some pink is fine, whole damned aisles of it is depressing.

[Waltermittythesequel]

I agree, OP.

My dd loves pink glittery stuff. Loves it. She aslo loves dinosaurs and ninja turtles.

I am just as annoyed by the idea that she's somehow less than other girls because she likes tutus and fairy wings.

It's so hypocritical.

There are parents on here who fall over themselves to brag when their sons paint their nails or want to wear a dress, yet if your daughter does it you should be flogged. Utter madness.

[Duckfacepalm]

Pink was once a boys colour wasn't it? (westminster school V eton sporting possibly rowing event had the victors win the prized fashionable pink kit hence WS and the delightful pink outfits) DD wears pink sometimes, at 2 its v difficult for us to avoid buying her pink, there is always SO MUCH PINK in the shops this makes us more likely to choose something else just because it stands out. I agree with the Let Toys Be Toys campaign but I'm not an anti-pink brigade cheerleader. I think a move towards gender neutral clothing is better than a hideous divide between Pink & Pretty and Blue & Boisterous. Sexism irks me.

I am and was a tomboy I wear and wore pink, I don't remember pink clothing being as abundant in my childhood as it is now.
DS2 (5) has some girls things he picked out, a white tee shirt with a rabbit on it no idea why rabbits are girl specific but same goes for colours in the end, and a black sweater with shiny stars on. He hasn't ever picked out pink girls things. Both sons (other 13) have a few pink items.
If we say the rabbit tee shirt and the star jumper are non gendered clothing what is gendered clothing? It seems so complicated to me. But YES LESS PINK CRAP pls.

[Waltermittythesequel]

Bit bemused with all the posters agreeing with something that doesn't actually exist

Bit arrogant to assume that everyone agreeing with the OP is wrong, no? You might not have noticed it, it doesn't follow that it's absolutely not happening.

[Sparklingbrook]

I often wonder how I managed to raise my DSs to teens without getting involved in all the pink/blue clothes and toys angst.

When they were little it was more that the clothes available were horrible (Next for example) rather than what colour they were.

[Waltermittythesequel]

I don't know where you're all shopping but my dd's wardrobe is full of non pink colours and even blue (which is her favourite colour).

[Itinerary]

while things can be marketed to seperate genders the companies make more money.

Yes, I think that's one of the main reasons of the sharp divide. If parents of both boys and girls found out they could use the same clothes and toys for all their children in turn, instead of having to buy everything twice in pink and blue (or pink and "everything else" such as lego ) they'd be spending far less.

[RaisingSteam]

I love this

I do a technical job, for a long time I tried to look as unfeminine as possible, feeling if my colleagues saw a pink dress they wouldn't take anything seriously. Now I wear what I like. There is a huge problem with stereotyping and pink has become shorthand for it, when it's not the whole issue.

[RupertPupkin]

Agree with MrsDevere. No one is saying your kids can't wear a tutu or that they are less of a person for doing so FFS! My girls both have them and I'm a fully paid up dungaree-wearing feminist. No one has ever said a word about their tutus. Why would a normal person have a problem with that?

The point is that there is often a lack of choice as far as girls' clothes goes. That's what people don't like. I guess there are some people who 'ban' it in their households but I would venture to say they are on the fringes with that decision.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

"I don't know anyone who has banned their girls from wearing pink. I didn't."

My mother was vehemently anti-pink, YouTheCat I can't actually remember having any pink clothes as a child or teenager - I wasn't 'banned' as such, but my mum chose all my clothes, until,I was 16, and would not have agreed to buy me anything pink - I knew better than to ask! I now love pink, but I do feel I have to apologise for it, when I see my mum. My sister, however, has absorbed mum's view and considers herself superior for not having any pink stuff.

That said, I have a big problem with the use of certain colours to 'brand' particular things as being just for girls or just for boys. And I certainly agree there should be more choice - it is lazy marketing, as Athelstane says, to use such a meagre range of colours for girls' clothes and toys, and things like Mothers' Day cards.

[Coldtoeswarmheart]

YY to bright and cheerful ^^. That's what I went for when decorating kid's bedrooms - DS was orange, DD green. If I sew clothes for DD they are bright, not pink.