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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be angry about the lack of females on boys pyjamas?

194 replies

WeasleyWoman · 16/04/2019 20:57

This seems rather minor but has me riled. I was in Asda today with my 3yr old giving her free rein to choose pants (in prep for potty training) she wanted paw patrol pants which could only be found in the boys section: no probs briefs are briefs when you are 3. I noticed that the pants only had the male pups on, even the ones with 5 pups still didn't have the token females (apparently they can only appear on the pink pants). This got me looking for female characters in the boys section, the only one I could find was Owlet (score 1 for pj masks) everyone else had gone, no Lilly on the Peter rabbit clothes just (Peter and Benjamin), no Penny on fireman Sam (just Sam, Elvis and the chief), no black widow or captain marvel on the avenger tops not even Peppa fucking pig on the Peppa pig clothes! It's Bacon girl's show yet all the boy's clothes have George on. I feel like there is, at last, starting to be more of a focus on making sure little girls know they can do anything, achieve anything and don't have to just aspire to be mums, wives and princesses but what is the point if we don't tell the boys too? If we don't show them that women are useful and important members of the team then aren't we just shout in the dark, or rather shouting in the pink sparkly section?

OP posts:
kenandbarbie · 16/04/2019 21:27

Well boys want to dress in clothes with boy characters and girls want to dress in clothes with girl characters. I doubt there's many boy characters on girls clothes either. Perhaps the odd one as someone said fireman Sam. But generally it's Disney princesses, doc mcstuffins etc. George is on the boys t shirt and peppa is on the girls. Because the kids identify with their own sex.

Original poster
WeasleyWoman · 16/04/2019 21:27

@widowodiw you are not wrong, I don't have a son but if I did I would of course instil equality in him. I am not expecting paw patrol clothing to teach my child everything about life, I just think removing the female characters from the boy's clothes is not promoting equality.

OP posts:
butteryellow · 16/04/2019 21:29

It’s annoying enough that out of 6 dogs only one is a girl (because they couldn’t possibly let a girl dog where any other colour than pink so there can only be one hmm)

I tell mine that Zuma is a girl (I rather like hover craft) - then challenge them to argue their way out of it - they haven't succeeded, because how could they - the pups aren't naked!

My youngest has a velvet glittery top, I just went to the girls section for it. My only problem with that in general is that I fucking hate frills, and finding clothing in the girls section without them can be challenging!

butteryellow · 16/04/2019 21:31

Because the kids identify with their own sex.

They really don't - unless you make them.. My DS1 couldn't even tell me the difference between boys and girls at 5, my DS2 knew but couldn't care less. They both watch and read shows with male and female protagonists, and really couldn't care less what's in someone's pants if they like the story.

Original poster
WeasleyWoman · 16/04/2019 21:31

@Biancadelrioisback I didn't assign gender to a TV show just the characters i.e. rubble is a male dog and Skye is a female dog etc. The TV shows are for both genders, there are paw patrol, Peter rabbit, fireman Sam clothes in both sections just the boys clothes don't have females on and the girls have a mix.

OP posts:
OneDayillSleep · 16/04/2019 21:34

I bought my 20month old George pjs from there on sat and my daughter sports peppa knickers... Guess what? That's the characters they like!

I can't say this type of thing keeps me upsy night, but generally speaking my daughter likes girl characters and my little boy boys. I think you'd find most kids are the same and so the shops caters for what the majority wants.

And please don't tell them to mix boys and girls clothes up, it's bad enough trying to find stuff as it is when I'm shopping.

Biancadelrioisback · 16/04/2019 21:34

But didn't you say that Peppa was a girls show?

ScreamScreamIceCream · 16/04/2019 21:35

@kenandbarbie that's why I'm surrounded by girls under 8 who want spiderman t-shirts, pjs, bags, socks...

At least I can get dresses with dinosaurs on for toddlers.

NunoGoncalves · 16/04/2019 21:37

I get what you mean OP, it is aggravating. My DD loves paw patrol, her fave is Chase. I couldn’t find any pjs in the ‘girls’ section with him on, they were all Everest and Skye.

God that's annoying. Do those websites that screenprint custom t-shirts do underwear too? If not, I have a new business idea!

MuddlingMackem · 16/04/2019 21:38

Biancadelrioisback Tue 16-Apr-19 21:34:31
But didn't you say that Peppa was a girls show?

As I understood it, she was saying that it's Peppa's show, she's the titular character, and she's female. However, the clothes designers obviously feel that she is not worthy of having her likeness printed on boys' clothes. Which is really bloody sexist.

A friend's son was very into Peppa Pig when he was little, but wasn't into pink clothes or accessories, so never got to have anything with Peppa on. And that was well over ten years ago.

ByGrabtharsHammarWhatASaving · 16/04/2019 21:38

Get these lot on it. twitter.com/letclothesbe?lang=en

Biancadelrioisback · 16/04/2019 21:40

@MuddlingMackem
Ah that's not how I read it. I read it as it's a show for girls.
My DS loves it and has quite a few Peppa T-shirts

FenellaMaxwell · 16/04/2019 21:41

@MatchSetPoint H&M boys has loads. Actually, my son has a green and blue sequin sweatshirt from the Asda boys section so it can’t all be bad....

I don’t think it’s ASDA’s fault. Fireman Sam has Penny, vs. 3 male firefighters. Paw Patrol has 1 female character out of 5. There’s no point complaining female characters are underrepresented on the merchandise when they are underrepresented in the show itself.

Gintonic · 16/04/2019 21:44

I also find this bloody annoying and I think it is an issue worth complaining about because it springs from the sexist idea that boys can't/won't/shouldn't be interested in female characters.

My son also likes Skye, Peppa etc. I do sometimes buy him the "girl" clothes so that he can have his favourite characters, but I have found the sizing is completely different - girls clothes are very much tighter and figure hugging, which I find distasteful for 3 yr olds. And the knickers all have scratchy lace on which I can't imagine is comfortable for either boys or girls.

cdtaylornats · 16/04/2019 21:44

There is a secret to shops, they stock what sells, not what a few think a politically correct shop should sell.

chippingalong · 16/04/2019 21:47

I agree with you OP, absolutely. And I'm not sure why you're getting so many 'if that's all you've got to worry about...' comments - when 99% of AIBU is a lot more trivial than this!

Glitterblue · 16/04/2019 21:47

This made you angry?! Wow, you really must have a short fuse.... Hmm

LostInShoebiz · 16/04/2019 21:48

This is absolutely an issue to be concerned about. Boys almost don’t have permission to appreciate female characters in the same way as male ones. There is clear research showing adult females will engage positively with films with a male or female lead but adult males will not engage positively with films with a sole female lead and less positively with a female co-lead as compared with a male lead.

We need to start early if children are to perceive both genders as being of equal value in society.

CalleighDoodle · 16/04/2019 21:49

i really struggled finding a tshirt with queen elsa on for my ds back during frozen fever. and the girls tshirts all had the gathered bits where the shirt body met the arm at the top iykwim. infuriating.

NunoGoncalves · 16/04/2019 21:50

There is a secret to shops, they stock what sells

That's not entirely true. Fashion (even kids' fashion) is not a strictly consumer-driven industry.

Buombalayo · 16/04/2019 21:56

Ugh to all the "it's that all you've got to worry about" and "that made you angry? Short fuse" comments!!

This annoys me too OP. It's things like this that from a young age divide the sexes and pigeonhole how girls and boys must behave.

Like OP/PP have said, there's so much more these days to promote aspiration and breaking the glass ceiling etc in girls from a young age but very little for boys to see girls as equal. The social conditioning from stuff like this is scary.

And guess what snarky PPs - it makes me angry too!!

OwlBeThere · 16/04/2019 21:56

those saying this is a minor issue and that OP needs to find more important things to worry about are missing the bigger picture in spectacular fashion. whether you want to admit it, or agree or not the fact is that advertising, Tv shows and characters and how they related to each other, and are portrayed shape the world views of children in a very significant way. you may think that having no female characters on doesnt matter, but you're very wrong.

MorelloKisses · 16/04/2019 21:58

This is absolutely an issue to be concerned about. Boys almost don’t have permission to appreciate female characters in the same way as male ones. There is clear research showing adult females will engage positively with films with a male or female lead but adult males will not engage positively with films with a sole female lead and less positively with a female co-lead as compared with a male lead.

We need to start early if children are to perceive both genders as being of equal value in society.

100% this

OP - you are quite right, this is an infuriating problem and is worth us getting upset about as it misers back to us the relative value that females vs males have in media and in society.

NunoGoncalves · 16/04/2019 21:58

Listen, if you don't care that women are systematically taught that they are inferior to men through almost every possible facet of everyday life, then yes, this is a minor thing that is stupid to care about.

TheCraftyLass · 16/04/2019 22:02

*MatchSetPoint

My five year old son would love a glittery sequin top but they are only available in the girls section, it works both ways and it is so annoying!*

I don't have littles any more, but DID notice ASDA had t-shirts and sweatshirts with sequins in their boys section when I was passing by last week.
They even had ones with colour/pattern change sequin panels Grin
My not so small boy was lamenting that they did have them in his now man-size Smile

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