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AIBU?

to not want to dress ds in pink?

56 replies

PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 18:04

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Day at school next week and ds (7) has been told he has to wear pink. Now I know I risk being flamed for gender stereotyping my children but he has nothing pink. He wouldn't wear anything pink. Do I really have to buy something pink just so he can wear it for that day (his suggestion of red and white stripes was rejected by his teacher)? I'm not totally sold on the pinkification of breast cancer anyway and am not sure how the school is planning to raise awareness. If they can do it in an age appropriate and sensitive way, fine. If it's in a vague fbook "we're raising awareness by being aware of awareness" way I'd rather they didn't bother. AIBU?

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PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 22:58

NapQueen now that's an idea! And maybe hunting pink ;)

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NapQueen · 14/10/2016 22:56

Buy him a Pink Floyd tshirt

ErrolTheDragon · 14/10/2016 22:55

(Not that having a kid declaring his red shirt to be hunting pink would be likely to go down well with what sounds like a rather po-faced teacher)

ErrolTheDragon · 14/10/2016 22:54

'Hunting pink' is scarlet isnt it?

dementedpixie · 14/10/2016 22:50

Dd's school had a dress down and pay £1 for breast cancer thing today. She said hardly anyone had pink on (including the girls) but in my view it's the donating that counts not wearing a specific colour. She had pink hair bobbles and pink laces in her trainers (they were already pink). Her tshirt was more peach than pink but close enough I suppose

StormStrike · 14/10/2016 22:49

Red is just very dark pink isn't it?

missbishi · 14/10/2016 22:45

Send him in with a note explaining that you decided to donate the £3 that a pink tshirt would cost at Primark to a BC charity.

PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 22:42

This 7yo visited his grandfather on a pallative care ward when he was dying of at least two cancers. He also plays with his cousin who has leukaemia...it doesn't me he needs the technical details of cancer. I'd be pretty freaked out if I was 7 and someone told me about this mass inside me that basically wanted to destroy me from within. I suspect school will skim over it like they did with their last awareness day (autism....ds came home none the wiser. Ironic as he's probably on the spectrum himself )

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AmeliaJack · 14/10/2016 22:22

Redglitter hence the need for the conversation.

Star what do you think is going to happen to a 7 yo with an awareness of cancer that stops them being "a kid"? Plenty of 7 yos will have visited relatives on oncology wards.

kali110 · 14/10/2016 20:07

prince i know what you mean in regards to cancer campaigns.
I'm happy to see so much fundraising, but i wish tgere was more coverage for the unknown ones.

PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 20:06

We've had a fair few brushes with breast cancer (one of our best friends and my mum in the last year...thankfully not fatal ) but it's not the only cancer to affect our family and it sometimes irks me that it gets so much attention above other cancers. My 3yo niece has ALL so you def won't find me griping about childhood cancer awareness

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Jellybean83 · 14/10/2016 20:05

I'd just buy one of the little pink pins and put it on his jumper, or make your own with a bit of ribbon. At my DSs school these colour coded clothing awareness days are optional, the news letters always say in bold not to go out and buy something new so really nobody will bat an eyelid if he just goes in with normal uniform.

My DS is almost 7 and he wouldn't wear pink either, his clothes his choice.

JassyRadlett · 14/10/2016 20:01

No worries. I may be a little sensitive as have had a few run ins lately with people being really nasty about campaigns fundraising for children's cancers.

IAmAPaleontologist · 14/10/2016 19:59

I hate it when school dress up is so restrictive and you have to buy stuff. Hell dd would struggle, I think the only link thing she has are some of her knickers! Her fave colour is blue.....

I'd just do as others suggested and send him in own clothes with a cancer ribbon or wrist band or something. Maybe pink face paint to do ribbons on his cheeks?

I have a stash of randomly sized fruit of the loom t shirts from eBay now from various wear green/red/yellow/the only colour you don't currently have days. No pink though!

PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 19:55

Thanks jassy and apologies for defensive cross post!

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PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 19:54

Top Google images for breast cancer - two anatomical pictures, seven shiny pink ribbons. And now I'll stop being defensive

to not want to dress ds in pink?

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JassyRadlett · 14/10/2016 19:54

That's not at all how I read 'the less photogenic cancers', tbh, and you'll understand how it could be interpreted that way. I accept that's not the way you intended it after your explanation.

Starlight2345 · 14/10/2016 19:52

I have a DS he would not want to wear something pink...

I don't see why a 7 year old boy needs awareness of breast cancer..My mum had it twice when she was younger than me.. I think let them be kids.

I would just send him in what he is comfortable..

PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 19:51

obviously I didn't mean the cancer itself. I meant the campaign image. Which is miles away from the reality of cancer

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PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 19:50

I mean the publicity for breast cancer is photogenic in the "pink fluffy tutus race for life bra walk" sense. Not every cancer gets its own pretty colour. And I know people who have had breast cancer who feel similarly

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JassyRadlett · 14/10/2016 19:43

I'm in full sympathy with yor position, but the line about 'photogenic cancers' is a bit nasty. The family members and friends I've lost to BC haven't looked particularly photogenic, tbh.

Eolian · 14/10/2016 19:39

Let him wear red. Wtf are they going to do about it?! (Teacher here, before anyone accuses me of being anti). Dress up days should be fun for the children. There's nothing fun about being made to wear one colour. If they want to make money for a charity, have cake sale or something.

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PrinceHansOfTheTescoAisles · 14/10/2016 19:34

I know crunchymum. I'm awaiting my mn eviction notice

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Crunchymum · 14/10/2016 19:27

Tut tut, you aren't fit to be on MN if your DS doesn't have any pink clothes

TeenAndTween · 14/10/2016 19:22

One of

buy something from a charity shop (so another charity benefits from your £2 as well as raising awareness)
breast cancer ribbon / wristband
colour in a 2 inch circle of paper in pink and stick a safety-pin on the back (it can always get broken at 9:10 after it has been seen)

imo He needs to 'show willing'. Pink is the colour of the campaign, either he gives a nod to conforming, or he goes in in uniform.

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