to think MNHQ should know better than to feature photos of babies in headbands (preumably to denote female) on this site?

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Of all places!

Come on HQ. Pull your finger out!

Yes but for all we know, all of those babies could be female, OP.

You look at the photo and see lazy gender stereotyping.

I look at the photo and see some babies, 2 of whom have headbands on.

Do you think the babies in the headbands are boys? What makes you think that? You say you think that so you can make a feeble point against my argument, that's the truth of the matter.

Oh bollocks Worra. Don't you ever give it a rest?

As Wankers says, who really gives a fuck? Why shouldn't MN show a female child as such? It's very boring, the whole 'Thou shalt not stereotype genders' on here, along with the 'Oh, I'm being so un-mumsnetty with my hugs' bollocks. So tedious. So bloody what? If I want to denote feminine/masculine, I damn well will. It is unacceptable for others to tell me it's wrong. It is not, it is personal choice to dress a female or male child as such.

What makes you think that

What makes you think they are girls?

I look at the photo and see some babies, 2 of whom have headbands on.

I looked at the photo and saw some babies - I didn't even notice that some had headbands! Sometimes I think people scratch about looking to be offended.

What you don't see from this angle is that the baby second from the left (as we look) is actually wearing mascara and nipple tassles.

I look at the photo and see some babies, 2 of whom have headbands on.

Exactly.

I strongly suspect this is really about something else- the perception of headbands as "chavvy".

Oh bollocks Worra. Don't you ever give it a rest?

Goodness me no.

Absolutely not.

Never.

Perish the thought.

Pink and blue stereotyping does piss me off. Something I see a lot.

But I would never have looked at this picture and decided it was 2 girls babies and 2 boy babies. I see 4 cute babies and a computer. God knows how they got them all to pose like that.

"Why shouldn't MN show a female child as such?"

Well why SHOULD they? And why is it that the way to show a female child is by sticking an embellishment on her head?

Start 'em early because they are going to have an entire lifetime being told that their natural state is not good enough and it all has to be prettied up in some way.

Why don't we put little beards on male babies, with elastic to hook round their ears?

God knows how they got them all to pose like that.

Perhaps they're logged into Netmums and the sparkly tickers have sent them into a trance

Yes Cory, I was surprised as headbands on bald babies are considered pretty 'chavvy' and more likely to be found on Netmums.
I do think they could've found a better picture.

On a different but also equality based note..I've just been to a Panto where the handsome prince married the lead boy. Crowd cheered just the same - didn't look to me that anyone in the big mixed audience batted an eyelid. That wouldn't have happened even 10 years ago in a mainstream city Panto.

Real things are changing for real people so quite frankly the use of a photo where they've tried to show that both girl and boy babies could be into computers is no big deal. I'm sure the babies don't care.

Ask yourself - why does a "girl baby" need to be embellished with a headband?

My dd wore ribbons (before headbands). She also wore her db handmedowns (primarily blue) and I used the blue pram.

She looked adorable and people stopped asking about my baby boy.

She also grew up to pull the heads of barbies and does a sport where women are in the minority(not sure of stats but in our club approx 10-1).

Her db dances.

Not really sure the significance of the headband other than an item of clothing that the primary carer feels is appropriate at the time.

Start 'em early because they are going to have an entire lifetime being told that their natural state is not good enough and it all has to be prettied up in some way.

So, I ask again, do any of the complaining posters have daughters with long hair and who wear dresses?

And do adult women wear headbands? Surely the equivalent of showing the boys with fake beards would be fake breasts for the girl babies not headbands?

OP you're ignoring my question...

OP I can understand you and 'others' not liking baby girls in headbands but who are you to forbid them? You're entitled to your opinion but you're not an authority on how people should dress their children or which photos are appropriate for MN to use.

Back in the real world, no one really gives a shit that a website uses a stock photo where two babies are wearing head bands.

This.

HTH

Oh god where does this crap end?
You know some parents actually like to dress their kids in headbands, not to symbolise that their girls, just because you know they like them?
How the hell do you know the sex of those babies? Do you know them personally? Or are guessing their sex based on some headbands ( which is exactly what you're moaning about)

worra yes, as usual agreeing with your posts.
My dh wore a headband for ages shock horror!

They're

But maybe all of the babies are girls and two of them are wearing headbands and two of them aren't? I would really struggle to get worked up about this.

Actually Kali my DS's friend wears a headband too, which he calls a 'bandanna'.

But it's not. It's basically a large headband with a strip of elastic at the back '

So it was a non point that I missed. You're offended, on behalf of a child who may, or may not, be female, because she (or he), is wearing a headband? And for some reason, it is now deplorable for girls or women, to actually WANT to be seen as feminine creatures of beauty? That it is downright rude for a person to dress their female child, or themselves, in a pretty dress, in case it offends someone who thinks everyone should dress in grey, shapeless sacks with shaved heads so as to not draw any attention to the fact they are female. Because it's not the done thing for a boy to like toy guns or cars, and girls to enjoy tea parties with their frilly dress wearing dolls.

And, I have one of those awful twin donkey pushchairs. I'm pretty sure the owners of pushchairs could not care less what colours you think they should use. Why can't a parent choose pink for a girl and blue for a boy? If that's what they want, who are you, or anyone else with these ridiculous agendas, to tell someone they cant?!