To think that muted pastel baby toys that cost about X5 the price of the average are a waste of money and a bit pretentious?

[FreesiaFairy]

Have noticed that some mums seem to only tolerate muted pastel baby toys from brands such as Little Dutch or Liewood, that usually cost about X5 the price of the average for that toy, is this a first time mum thing?

I like to think I have good taste and appreciate good quality, but it's starting to annoy me how snobby some people are about kids toys, surely at some point they are going to have to break free of the muted pastel colour palette? I think Instagram might have quite a lot to do with it.

I get most of my little ones toys second hand and as long as he finds it fun don't massively care what it looks like. I feel like I'm getting judged on my taste for this!

Christ you sound awful.

Judging over the fact that a toddler might want to wear wellies with a clashing summer dress or something. What's the harm in kids wearing what they want?

I'm not even a mum (so I can't be 'one of those mums') and I'd run a mile from you.

@Donitta

My child has a monochrome room and I don’t see why we should have to live in a pigsty just because we reproduced. Friends talk about how they can’t have nice ornaments because their DC would play with them and break them, and I’m like - Just discipline your child and say no? 🤷‍♀️

Wow, you sound delightful.

Poor kids.

Ha ha this reminds me of a couple we know, the mum bought grey/monochrome toys for their new baby, so that it wouldn't be too out of place in their grey hued show home.

Fast forward 2 years, baby number 2 is on the way, she's given in & their home is full of multi coloured plastic toys!

I know what you mean by children dressed in clashing colours so it looks as if the parent has just put on whatever came to hand. It is a particular middle-class style and is deliberate.

fruityorange
exactly that.

My child has a monochrome room and I don’t see why we should have to live in a pigsty just because we reproduced.

Because a) it's not a pigsty and b) because we are placing our child's needs ahead of our own rather shallow wants regarding trend decor. Colours are stimulating, aesthetically pleasing to children (who are not attuned to fashion trends) and help children learn.

It’s quite hard to find clothes that aren’t covered in dinosaurs or unicorns, why would anyone want those?

Because my daughter loves dinosaurs? She is the one wearing clothes, if they are neat and practical and dinosaurs make her smile and stimulate imagination and conversations with her peers, great.

I am so glad DD can't choose her own clothes yet (13 months) - I really love dressing her, I have fun with it, and definitely spend too much - the latest was a sailor suit and a bonnet; she's going to hate me when she looks back on those pics probably...

Also, I really want to keep my ornaments and house plants, would hate to have to get rid of stuff I liked because of DD...unless it was dangerous obvs.

Today 12:32Blossomtoes

TheKeatingFive

why would anyone want those?

Have you met any toddlers?

Yes, the toddlers I know don’t care.*

I'd be quite worried if a toddler wasn't expressing any colour preferences or interests regarding their attire. It's an important part of developing self expression, communication, imagination etc.

Aldi do some excellent copies of this kind of stuff.

IME kids like things that make sounds and noise anyway

I am so glad DD can't choose her own clothes yet (13 months) - I really love dressing her, I have fun with it, and definitely spend too much - the latest was a sailor suit and a bonnet; she's going to hate me when she looks back on those pics probably...

Aw that sounds adorable! My DD is now 9 and wears mostly black gym-style clothes, I miss dressing her up.

• You really don't have to be stuck with garish colours if you don't want to, and children are just as happy and comfortable.

There's a happy medium: YOU buy the clothes, they choose from you have bought. Problem solved.

There are other ways to express their individuality smile.*

YOU aren’t ‘stuck’ with the ‘garish’ colours though are you? It’s your child wearing the clothes. My DDs are 4 and 2, when I do a clothes shop for them I buy a range of practical things that they need and then let them top it up with whatever sparkly, dinosaur, rainbow coloured things they like, because they have to wear them.

And yes, DD1 is often wearing odd outfits and looks like she dressed herself, because she’s allowed to choose her outfit, obviously I make sure it’s weather appropriate but who honestly cares if their child is wearing wellies with shorts or a tutu and fairy wings over their clothes? It hurts nobody and they’re happy. Yeah it’s nice to dress them in nice outfits when they’ve very small but past 18months/2 years they tend to have their own opinions.

Kids aren’t a fashion accessory.

That’s how I dressed mine over 40 years ago. Now I’m buying for grandchildren and choosing the same. It’s quite hard to find clothes that aren’t covered in dinosaurs or unicorns, why would anyone want those?

Because dinosaurs are amazing?

I love the muted pastel colors, I find bright colors somewhat garish. And wooden toys are nice, better than plastic, IMO.

because we are placing our child's needs ahead of our own rather shallow wants regarding trend decor. Colours are stimulating, aesthetically pleasing to children (who are not attuned to fashion trends) and help children learn

that's nice, but that's still your own preference.

You seem to imply that having different taste and prefer different decor doesn't help children to learn. I disagree.

Let's be honest here, it's never too early to teach your children your own taste whatever it is, in their bedroom or their clothes. And that's fine.

You're pretty obviously just being deliberately goady. It's bizarre (and sad) to watch.

You know as well as anyone that their is no need for children to learn their parents' taste.

We have both - loud colours, pastels. Grimms was a thing and we have some of that, but we also have the cheaper stuff. Did they play with one more than the other? Not really. At the moment, they're all about the lego in this house - which is a bloody nightmare for my poor feet.

oh, and my kids are dressed in whatever they want - my son lives in dinosaur/trains/tractor clothes, and my daughter stuff with stars and i dont know, girly stuff. I on the other hand - live in monochrome lol. I think its important at a young-is age that they be given some autonomy , i mean, we buy the stuff, they can mix and match. Ive only recently started letting my daughter pick one or two things from a shop if im buying stuff, and unless its rude, i let her have it. My son is too young.

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand

ok... can't you find another word than "goady" when someone doesn't agree with you?

You are literally pushing your taste and what you judge is suitable for young children on them .

You are literally pushing your taste and what you judge is suitable for young children on them

The only person doing this is you. It seems like the rest of the posters on the thread are happy with bright colours, mix and match outfits, letting children choose their clothes and accepting of the occassional noisy toy.

@Whinge

You are literally pushing your taste and what you judge is suitable for young children on them

The only person doing this is you. It seems like the rest of the posters on the thread are happy with bright colours, mix and match outfits, letting children choose their clothes and accepting of the occassional noisy toy.

you like bright colours, so you choose bright colours... How is that not my point?

The point about letting your toddler pick up their own clothes in a shop (especially in the pandemic)... I am not going there.

you like bright colours, so you choose bright colours...
How is that not my point?

Where did I say I would buy bright colours because I liked them? I don't have children, but if I were buying clothes i'd be looking for practical clothes that the child actually wanted to wear. It would be ridiculous to buy clothes that were to my taste or for the aesthetic, when i'm not the one wearing them.

Small children like high contrast so black/white is fine but subtle shades of grey are less interesting for them, if going for the —monotonous— monotone look...

Toddler DS refused to get dressed if there was nothing yellow available to wear and would keep his yellow pyjamas on all day which was preferable to a big fight.

Regarding ornaments, I never moved a single one, but taught him not to touch.

I don't have children

I see, so much easier to be the perfect parent then 😂

The point about letting your toddler pick up their own clothes in a shop (especially in the pandemic)... I am not going there

What on earth is wrong with letting a toddler pick their own clothes? I took DDs clothes shopping last week ( yes, in a pandemic, the shop had many other parents doing the same) and said you can pick a couple of T-shirt’s and shorts and a swimming costume each. They enjoyed it and it’s harmless, what’s your issue with it? Because I could see lots of other parents doing the same, so I don’t think I’m the one in the minority there.

And no it’s not too early to teach them your taste but after they start showing an interest and developing their own taste and style, like every toddler I know, what’s the harm in letting them express that? Unless you’re worried that people will think that reflects your taste and style?