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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

I can't quite bring myself to put ds in his older sister's pink bib...

24 replies

nondomesticgoddess · 02/10/2008 13:21

... or gro-bag,vests etc. I know it's ridiculous as no-one else is going to see him but I just can't do it!
Of course I'm more than happy to put dd in blue - the hypocrisy!

OP posts:

Boyswillbeboys · 02/10/2008 13:27

Yes, YABU but you know that already don't you!! My two DSs wore all my nieces' old pink baby-gros, and DS2 (nearly 5) still sleeps with his pink baby blanket! They have both emerged unscathed and are now very boyish.

Funnily enough, in my experience many boys seem to really like pink, it is a beautiful bright colour and I think that's why they like it. DS1 insisted on having a pink drinks bottle when he was old enough to express a preference, and even recently when I had to get him some swimming goggles he chose the dayglo pin and yellow ones rather than the blue ones!

ahundredtimes · 02/10/2008 13:28

Are you just looking for an excuse to go shopping?

mummyloveslucy · 02/10/2008 13:30

I've thought about this and no, I couldn't either. It's strange but it would seem wrong.
This is comming from someone who used to dress her little brother in fairy outfits etc.

londontipton · 02/10/2008 13:31

YABU and wasteful, put him in the pink grobags etc, you can do it!

Zazette · 02/10/2008 13:35

buy some fabric dye and dye them red/blue/orange/whatever colour you fancy.

my friend's dd was totally dressed in purple for her first year because her mum dyed all the blue stuff left over from her ds

mummyloveslucy · 02/10/2008 13:37

When I bought grow bags for my daughter, I bought unisex ones in case we had a boy next. I'd use the pink grow bags rather than buying new ones. They are expensive.
I definatly wouldn't put him in pink baby grows though.
But who knows maybe I would, I don't have a son "yet".

rayjay · 02/10/2008 13:45

It's strange, but I agree with mummyloveslucy, I wouldn't hesitate to put my ds in a pink growbag, but I wouldn't let him wear pink babygrows.

rayjay · 02/10/2008 13:47

Btw I wouldn't say it was wasteful, it can always go to a charity shop, recycled.

Original poster

nondomesticgoddess · 02/10/2008 13:48

Don't worry - the pink has found a good home with my baby niece so hasn't been wasted and most of my grobags are unisex.
I just wondered if it was a quandary (and let's be honest, not a particularly serious one) others might have had...
Just interesting that gender stereotyping often works one way only. Another example - dh refuses to read 'That's not my princess' to ds but will read 'that's not my truck' to dd. (Btw - I will read them whatever they want!)

OP posts:

milkysallgone · 02/10/2008 13:52

Yabu, we have a little boy here in pink vests, bibs, even P.Js! He doesn't mind a bit.

HonoriaGlossop · 02/10/2008 13:52

My ds had a pink bib handed down from his cousin, I put him in it without a second thought. Why not - what is the fear, what could it do to him????????

He looked lovely in pink, suited his skin tone

PersephoneSnape · 02/10/2008 13:53

are you worried that you will 'turn' him gay? not so much being unreasonable, but ridiculous

pink actually used to be a boys colour - it's only since the 1900s that it turned into pink for girls, blue for boys. really, i don't think it will have any long term effect on him...

bubbles4 · 02/10/2008 14:02

just out of interest all three of my teenage ds,s have more pink clothes than their younger sister.

Egg · 02/10/2008 14:03

I have boy/girl twins and DS2 is currently sleeping in DD's pink striped grobag. She is in a blue and green one. They both also use each other's bibs. I really don't care if we are inside the house. DS2 has also worn one of DDs tops to sleep in.

WOuld not put him in her clothes to go out in though. Would use a pink bib on him when out but only if I couldn't find a boys one first.

DS1 had a great pink and grey stripey jumper that he looked gorgeous in and am looking forward to DS2 being able to wear it, but it is a boys jumper.

londontipton · 02/10/2008 14:04

nondomesticgoddess, I think you have hit the nail on the head, society is a good deal more uncomfortable with boys having "girl" toys, wearing "girl" colours etc

A friend painted her toddler son's toenails for him (as he had begged her to, having seen her do her own pedicure), her DH went quite mad. Really odd...

geekgirl · 02/10/2008 14:06

YABU

ds spent the first 2 years of his life wearing underwear & nightwear etc. handed down from his big sisters - I never had a problem putting him in a pink vest.

notcitrus · 02/10/2008 14:15

Squirmy is dressed in loads of pinkish stuff as we got given piles from our neighbours. I've weeded out some of the most twee stuff but actually I removed more of the Disney than the pink! I hate Disney Pooh!!!

some clothes have been dyed purple and look great but so far he's dressed in the nearest clean thing that fits...

strawberrycornetto · 02/10/2008 14:32

I don't think I could have put DS into DD's pink clothes. I have swapped with my best friend who had a DS when I had DD and a DD when I had DS, so don't have to feel guilty. Its more than just the colour though, its also the rest of the design and style etc.

But it is definitely gender stereotyping and I know I've been sucked in. It annoys me that all girls stuff has kittens and all boys stuff puppies. Why is that?? I don't really like dogs so won't buy DS stuff with puppies on but would happily put him in kitten stuff. Aren't boys allowed to like cats? [hmmm]

Blondeshavemorefun · 02/10/2008 14:47

it takes a realboy/man to be able to wear pink and look good

though i do agree with you, girls can wear blue, but boys look a bit weird in pink

Umlellala · 02/10/2008 14:51

Before ds was born I put loads of the pink stuff from dd away for ebay/next girl as I thought it was too girly but now he's actually here I dress him in loads of pink (more than I prob did for dd at this age - tried to avoid it for her ). Dh surprised me by 'approving' loads of 'girly' tops - drew the line at dresses and tights though (although later we decided that tights under trousers were quite useful )

(I hate Winnie the Pooh too)!

Umlellala · 02/10/2008 14:53

Ds (11 weeks) looks cute in pink and in girly tops. He is a giant brute of a baby though

alarkaspree · 02/10/2008 14:58

I've recently moved to the US and lots of boys in dd's class (aged 4 - 5) are wearing pink uniform polos (they get a choice of colours). I think it's just in the UK that pink is just seen as a girl's colour.

I am currently resisting ds's choice of pink for his new winter coat though. If it was a t-shirt or pair of shorts I would get pink, but it's expensive, I am hoping it will last for 2 winters and I'm worried he won't like it next year! He is 2.5.

PersephoneSnape · 02/10/2008 15:01

actually, now i think about it - i used a lot of dds clothes for ds's - but DD wasn't a frilly pink baby anyway. she had a lot of bright red and denim and bug/bee printed stuff - that the boys could comfortably inherit, without me banishing any possible grandchildren to a wistful might-have-been.

chipmonkey · 02/10/2008 15:08

Do you know what's worse? Little girls dressed in pink when it patently does not suit them. I saw a lovely little girl last week with a beautiful mop of red curly hair to die for, dressed from head to toe in shocking pink! ANY other colour would have suited her better. I wish people wouldn't think that pink is compulsory for girls. I know it was probably her own idea and as I only have boys I probably shouldn't comment but that colour was doing her no favours!

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