To Want a "Let Boys Be Boys" campaign too?

[Mowgli1970]

I totally agree with MN's campaign but think boys should have someone to back them up too. I'm fed up of slogans on t-shirts alluding to boys' bad behaviour ("Whatever" "I've Got a Bad Attitude") and boys' things generally - I'm a monster, I'm a monkey, I'm a little shit (ok, I made that last one up). My son is sweet, kind, sensitive, intelligent, articulate and generally lovely. Why can't I buy something for him that's a positive message (I can buy any number of "Little Princess" type, fluffy bunny, angel, sweet stuff for dd if I choose)? There's a niche in the market here...

Agree with otter too. I don't buy what I don't like, it's as simple as that. And while I don't have a boy, I have a nephew that I regularly buy clothes for and I have never found a problem finding clothes for him, same as I don't buy predominantly pink and sparkly for dd.

It's all supply and demand. If people didn't buy it they wouldn't make it. Blaming manufacturers is lazy, there are clothes around. It's up to you what you buy, not them.

Hear, hear

I thought that buying DS a sunhat would be easy but severly limited my choice by discounting:

Anything footbally
Anything militaristic (no, actually, I don't want to dress a 20 month old in camo)
Baseball caps (I want to protect the back of his head too).

But there is a similar story with a lot of boys stuff, don't get me started on the slogans. H&M are my saviour!

There's nothing wrong with camoflage imo. Even if I had a problem with the Army (which I don't), camo is the preferred pattern for wildlife types.

YANBU I hate hate hate all the army trousers and skull and cross bones crap thats everywhere too. Not to forget that everything is either sludge or blue god forbid you put some purple or yellow on them everyone gives an look!

It's the notion that little boys love all things violent and their clothes should be boring and ugly that gets to me.
It forcing pre conceived ideals on boys and how they should be perceived and treated.
Why is that not ok for girls but fine for boys?

LOL at the idea of a group of toddler birdwatchers in camo trousers!

Camo is also the best pattern for concelaing grubbiness, ime

concealing

Maybe it should be changed to "Let Kids Be Kids" or something. I hate skull and crossbones, "negative" logos in general, and military get up. I don't think its just girls that are being designed to be sexual creatures by their clothes or by society in general.

The difficulty for buying for boys is that you've got really limited options. Basically a top (sweater or t-shirt) and jeans. Yes, you can have shirts but they're not always very well received or practical.

As far as tops go you generally either have (a) single colour (b) patterned (c) big car/ dinosaur/ football/ slogan option. All in a bountiful range of colours from um, blue to grey to brown. It's remarkably hard to avoid slogans and dumper trucks etc without them looking somewhat monochromatic.

Buying clothes for girls is just far more easy and there's just no problem avoiding slogan type tops. In fact, I'd say you actively have to choose them over the many other options (various types of dresses, sweather dresses, long tops, strappy tops, tops in loads of different styles). And, generally the designs on girls clothes, although pink is annoyingly prevalent are far more imaginative than just stripes.

following on from the link look at these disgusting ones....

for kids items www.cafepress.co.uk/reallyrudetees/2168624

oops

rubbish at this!

www.cafepress.co.uk/reallyrudetees/2168624

oh dear these are worse

www.cafepress.co.uk/reallyrudetees?s=reallyrudetees&type=72

Sorry, but the "Yes, condoms do break" and "Nobody cares about your Tweets" ones made me chuckle. Some of those are really foul, though. The "Permanently Damaged" one is disgusting

I would love a 'Little Shit' t-shirt for my ds's, or maybe 'Big Shit' for ds1! But I hate football related or camoflage clothing, but we are allowed to have different tastes are we not?

I like the "philosophy is for losers" one

I would have put ds2 in that, it would have suited his weltanschauung very nicely

I agree with all of these style sentiments but they are not as pervasive or damaging as the sexualisation of girls.

Actually there is probably an argument for embracing the naughty 'menaceness' of boys which most of them display as the behaviour that it is, rather than tutting that he'll grow up to be a violent thug.

I hate slogan Tshirts and can't abide the little monkey trend but if you do like that kind of thing, what actual, societal damage is it doing?

"embracing the naughty 'menaceness' of boys which most of them display"

is every bit as preposterous as saying "well, most girls like pretty pink and frilly stuff"

they do, because they are funnelled into this shared identity by marketing, assumption and ignorance

I think the problem is every bit as pervasive for boys. Mothercare were selling mini flak jackets a couple of years ago

Greensleeves, I disagree. I'm not saying that all boys are like this but many of them are. Not all girls like pink and fluff but, again, lots of them do and I imagine a higher number than their parents.

Just because some are quiet does not mean that those who are not have been tainted by media expectation.

I must admit that I am currently reading 21st Century Boys so this may be skewing my arguments at the moment.

My son is sweet, kind, intelligent and articulate too but he is also an energetic anarchic mess at times too.

Not that I'm suggesting it for a slogan t-shirt you understand

I honestly don't see why it's so hard to find clothes that you approve of.

I have a DS and a DD.

I'm not adverse to pink/purple/blue/navy stuff, but equally I don't find it hard to not buy slogans and so on.

But as has been previously said, some people obviously like slogans or they would not be made and sold.

Camouflage for toddlers is insane - you really don't want something that makes it even harder for you to see what they're up to.

Too true Strait. I am rejoicing the return of dayglo colours to our shelves. Can spot DS1 a mile off

I must admit my other bugbear is contemporary fashions for little boys. I want my 4 year old to wear shorts and T shirts or polo shirts. I don't give a (cheeky) monkeys if pale pink and grey is 'on trend' or not.

Is a nonsense. But actually all of these clothes are easy to find - they just tend to be at the pricier end of the high street (joules, boden, john lewis)

I don't mind all slogan/logo t-shirts. DS has some that I think are quite cool, anyway. I bought him the Beatles Yellow Submarine one from Asda because he loves the song and he's got one saying "Future Rock Star" that my muso brother bought him from Glastonbury that he loves and he has two kiddy guitars so I feel that both t-shirts reflect his personality. I wouldn't dream of dressing him in one of those godawful "little rascal"/"little asbo" blah t-shirts. They leave me cold.

So, if MN were to endorse a range of positive slogan t-shirts for boys, what would they say?

(sorry that's not aimed at cupcakes particularly)