To buy DS (4) a pink bike?

[coffeeforone]

We want to buy DS (almost 4) a bike for Christmas which he is very excited about. He said he wants a pink one and keeps talking about it. His favourite colour is pink but he also likes green.

Problem is I don't like pink, never have!
Ideally I'd like to get a better quality bike, that his younger brother can use in a couple of years. Not sure I want to spend to much on a 'less neutral' colour so we will probably end up getting a cheaper pink one that we can pass on quickly which is not ideal.

My mum and dad are buying him matching accessories, helmet etc and and have also asked me to try to steer him away from pink!
His friend has a green one and he occasionally comments that he also likes that one, then goes back to pink!

So DH and I have agreed either
a) a cheapish pink one and DS2 can choose his own first bike later
b) a better quality green one that can possibly be used for his sibling

WWYD?

@aweedropofsancerre You might have seen my son, but you would probably have assumed he was a girl as he would have also been in pink leggings and pink sandals!

i have never seen a boy cycling a pink bike with a pink helmet ever

Well some people do lead very sheltered lives

i have never seen a boy cycling a pink bike with a pink helmet ever

Maybe you have, but just assumed he was a girl because you've bought into the idea kids are colour-coded?

@aweedropofsancerre

My son, when he was 2, chose pink sparkly snow boots because he loved the feel of them and the colour from the sparkle.
He's now a very big, strong boy who plays rugby, rolls around in the mud and is what you'd probably call "a proper boy". I couldn't care on way or the other how he behaves, but allowing him to have pink boots certainly hasn't prevented him turning into your version of what a boy should be.
It really doesn't matter what colour they choose for anything; they will still grow into whoever they were always going to be.

As a pp said Frog bikes are excellent and they do a lovely bike with multicoloured splotches on including pink. Could this be an option?

www.frogbikes.co.uk/First-Pedal-Bikes-Frog-48

Your DH is equally unreasonable to ban his hated colour. You do realize that you have given birth to separate human beings with their own likes and dislikes, don’t you?

YABU and mean

The bike is for him not for him or DS2. Do you think your children should only be allowed things in the colours you like?

FWIW my DD (4) chose an orange bike and has a blue helmet. If you saw her, you’d also might think she is a little boy

I don’t understand why you are so adamant that one certain colour is not acceptable for your DS.

We hire DS’s bike from here thebikeclub.co/
Lovely high-quality bikes and you just swap them each time the child grows or changes their mind about the colour. Bit of recycling, better for the environment and you don’t end up with a garage full of bikes waiting for the younger sibling to grow into them.
Don’t know if you’re too late for Christmas delivery but I’d really recommend them.

The colour if the bike really is a non issue. If he wants a pink bike get him a pink bike. If his younger brother doesn’t like it and won’t use it then it’s his hard luck. My daughter had blue hand me downs it was a non issue.

Good quality pink and accessorise with stickers?

Can always be spray painted if he changes his mind

Gosh your DH is really unreasonable to ban a colour from the house because the rivals of his team wear it! What will happen when your DS brings home a friend who supports the rival team and god forbids is wearing their shirt, what will you DH do then?

In terms of the bike I would be hesitant re the potential teasing but if that is what your DS wants I'd get it for him regardless of my own colour preferences or what his younger sibling would like in the future.

‘You have to fund 2 children’

What a ridiculous statement - you of course have to fund two children in that they both have to eat and have clothes. You don’t have to fund them both to have expensive new bikes 🤦🏼‍♀️

I’ve got 3 kids (mix of boys and girl) and where possible I’ve made neutral choices so that stuff can be handed down. Neutral has meant colours to some extent, but also character stuff if I don’t think the next kid will like something I won’t buy an expensive item that’s themed to that character (paw patrol at the moment). It’s financially sensible and better for the environment to buy less stuff.

I have just had a similar issue in that we had to buy new car seats and younger DS asked for a pink one but the only pink version of the car seat we were buying was baby pink so I had to tell him that they didn’t do pink. Completely impractical colour for children to climb in and out of! I’d buy him a pink bike but as he’s the second born he’ll just have his brother’s bike poor love, at least it’s red so sort of pink though I guess?!

Problem is I don't like pink, never have!

Good job you don't have to ride it then OP.

I'd get him the pink bike if that's what he wants. I wouldn't bother spending much on it, they grow out of them so fast at that age. In the future if his brother doesn't want a pink one handed down, sell it on eBay and get another not too expensive one.

@Kungfupanda67

And for most things, which cannot be altered or aren't a big deal, that's fine. But OP has made the point of saying that he keeps talking about how excited he is to have a pink bike. It's his first bike; that's a big thing to a child and he is excitedly nattering away about getting his first pink bike. So getting a different one because they are planning for what his brother MIGHT want instead if for what this child has actually asked for is just mean.

Bikes can be re-sprayed or covered in decals, so if it it is in good enough condition to hand down, they can change the colour to whatever the brother wants. They can both have the colour they want from the one bike. But OP doesn't like pink clearly painting the bike seems like too much hard work, so the older child will just need to accept that he needs to pick things his brother will want. Nothing special for him, not even his first bike.

My ds got a pink hand me down with dolly seat. Was absolutely fine with it even stuck his teddy on the back sometimes. There wasn't the pressure at that age to conform.

Nothing special for him, not even his first bike.

he would usually get exactly what he wants without thinking about handing down. For example he chose the colour of his micro scooter (red - his favourite colour). DS2 will get a new micro scooter in a colour of his choice, as there will probably be a bit of overlap when they are both using it. But a decent first bike can cost 3 times as much so would like to re-use if possible. Maybe I am just being mean though as some of you have said.

Thanks to a few recommendations from PP we have decided to join thebikeclub (hadn't heard of it previously - great idea!), get the pink frog one and we can swap it whenever we need to. Thanks all!

Honestly OP look at my link above. He can have a pink frog bike for £10/month and then you can change it whenever you need/he wants to. No long-term commitment, no massive cost up-front.

Cross-posted!! That’s brilliant - hope you get on well with it

I suspect you wouldn’t buy a daughter a pink bike so don’t buy your son one just to be woke

I understood your point OP.

When my son was 4 he LOVED the colour pink and had loads of pink things. Within 6 months of being at school he said he no longer like pink because it was a girls colour and then he lost all interest in any of his pink things.

He’s now 5 years old and would shudder at the thought of owning anything pink

Great work coffee. I do love acFtig bike but they are expensive.

We have these Knog Frog lights for our DC bikes and they’re brilliant. You can but them in a variety of colours. I just chose a random link to show you what they look like. Amazon and Halfords and Indo bike shops will have them too. They are called Frog because they look like a frog rather than because they are made by Frog bikes BUT they fit on Frog bikes like a dream.

winstanleysbikes.co.uk/knog-frog-strobe-front-light-rose?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjIeZi6nB5QIVh63tCh0ZKQ2jEAQYDyABEgLGIvD_BwE

Glad OP has found a solution.

A bit off topic, but that spotty is adorable. I'd love one in an adult size.