To think if her child was a daughter she wouldn’t be dressed like pl

[HolyGoats]

I took dc2 to a toddler swimming session today. In the changing room and a mum comes in with her dc. The mum is very hippyish looking - dreads, piercings, lots of baggy clothes etc. Her dc is in a pink frilly dress, wearing a sparkly sort of tiara thing, carrying a silver wand and sparkly paw patrol boots. I vaguely wonder if it’s her child as my hippyish friends all dress their kids in very gender neutral type clothes and definitely not girly, pink stuff.

Anyway, as her dc got changed it was obvious her dc wasn’t a girl. Only noticed because they were both stood there stark naked for way longer than necessary before I get accused of being a pervert.

Am I being cynical in thinking that if her dc was a girl she’d probably be dressed in dinosaur dungarees or similar? It was just such an ott, impractical outfit to wear. I can’t think why you’d dress your dc like that unless to prove some point about how cool and modern you and your child are.

I may be biased though as she was a very irritating woman in the lesson!

ever heard the phrase 'assumption is the mother of all fuck ups'?

Maybe that's what the kid wanted to wear?

Why would you care?

Fucking hell, just get on with your own life.

It’s probably not relevant, but I can imagine the type

Whats your AIBU?

If her child is two presumably he (unlike you...) hasn't yet succumbed to the relentless grind of enforced gender roles that insist pink and sparkly is just for girls, and is just wearing whatever he likes?

There are so many stereotypes in that post it’s untrue.

How is it any business of yours? Your judging both mum and child based purely on what they are wearing. Nice.

*you're

It's the sort of outfit a toddler would choose - so I'd be more likely to assume she let her DC pick his own outfit.
K

Would she be dressed in dinosaur dungarees if she was a girl?

Who knows? Or cares

First you say the child should be dressed gender neutral and the imagine dinosaur tee shirt and dungarees.
May be,just maybe this is how the child wants to dress.I more boys were allowed fairy fancy dress the it would become gender neutral.
As for the comment about them being naked for longer than is natural ,this seems on the kindest level to be more to do with your insecurity.
I hope you have your tin hat on for the ride.

Couldn't agree more OP.

Some people are so keen to 'smash the patriarchy' that they don't realise how ridiculous and conforming they are.

It's like the mothers who would be horrified if their daughter wanted a pink princess dress, but would be delighted if their son did!

Of course I judged them on what they are wearing - that’s what people do. Young children tend to wear clothes of a similar style to their parents. When it’s a very different style (as it was today), I noticed. Then I noticed actually it was a bit and it made much more sense why he was wearing it.

I wouldn't think much to it TBH.

Though I was a bit taken back when a similar mother and slightly older child came over to me and demanded a hair band for her son as her son needed a hair band at swimming.

I was taken back as it was very rude in approach to someone they had never bothered to speak to and the constant for son was a bit odd.

I’m guessing her child chose their own clothes?? And are we really not past stereotyping and pigeon holing people into what we think they ‘should’ be wearing according to how they come across? This doesn’t feature on my radar I’m afraid, I’d be more inclined to be thinking “cool tiara!” than looking at who’s wearing it or what the parent looks like. Judgy much...

@Deitcoke, the point that OP is making is that the mother probably wouldn’t have allowed the child to wear pink sparkly stuff as they had wanted if the child was a girl but was happy to let the child wear this hideous stuff because she could pass it off as breaking gender stereotypes.

Maybe her kid chose the outfit.

I am wondering vaguely if you saw me and my son and just exaggerated everything. I have no dreads but a tie dye hairband on m.. He was wearing his hair up in a ponytail for swimming, a pink top and dinosaur trousers.
There there dear. I am sure all these people are just following a fashion and don't really think anything

gorgeous if she was a girl I’m guessing the mum would be much more encouraging dinosaurs than pink sparkles.

oh who cares really - she was probably going for the right-on mum of the year award - but each to their own.

Oh yes, that’s it oooeeeerrr. It was definitely you and not the woman I described