How do you (and indeed can you) stop little girls becoming "mini-whores in pink and tinsel"

[snickersnack]

I have never come across Miley Cyrus before this Vanity Fair fuss - as the parent of a 3 year old dd I've been spared that for now. But reading Germaine Greer in today's Guardian on the commercialisation/sexualisation of childhood got me wondering about the way she's already turning into a super-girly, pink-obsessed princess. I am pretty sure it's nothing I've encouraged actively - when I look in her wardrobe there's a lot of non-pink stuff there (mostly unworn), she has cars (mostly unplayed with) and I try and remind her regularly that it's not all about being pretty (though I'm not winning that battle).

How do you, as a parent of a young girl, teach them to be feisty and brave and bothered about important stuff? And not a fluffy pink fluffle of a thing.

All in the eye of the beholder....don't like your title.

What's wrong with a little pink and glitter?

As far as I'm concerned we are still in charge of buying. Clothing is not an obsession in our life, can't see why my daughter would turn into what you so tastefully describe.

Sorry but I have a hard time understanding this fretting about how kids look, what new toy they play with. Surely it's more about how they feel and behave? their curiosity, the way they communicate etc.....

Hatrick I saw your thread but didn't post that none of my dds has seen HSM, not even my 8yo dd1. it sounds utterly dire.

Didn't see your thread hatrick - I wouldn't have let someone else's 4 yo watch it.

Didn't see your thread hatrick - I wouldn't have let someone else's 4 yo watch it.

Trigger-happy finger!

Dont worry they all get to a point of rejecting the dreaded pink and tinsel.

I was glad to have a boy because I've always hated pink/glittery stuff and was a total tomboy and thought I would have to make a daughter wear hand-knitted beige smocks rather than pink. Phew. Had a boy. After a happy spell as a fire-fighting, blue-wearing super-hero, he is now determined to be a hair dresser and wants to always wear pink.

Have no problem with pink. Do have a problem with young girls looking sexualised, dressing like vamps.

My DD is 4, she has pink things - she has glittery things, but her favourite colour is Orange! I have alwyas dressed her in an array of colours, and found clothes from all over the place that are NOT pink - because its so easy to get sucked into the pink trap. Her clothes are easy to spot in pre-school as she's the one in the NOT pink stuff!

Thats not to say she doesn't like pink - she loves it - but she wears it no more and no less than any other colour. She has a healthy love of puddles, getting wet. getting mucky, she plays with worms and digs holes, has a pet spider, she loves pirates and loves her red arrows outfit as much as her pink princess dressing up dress. In fact her male freinds are often more likely to be dressed in it while she is the knight!

I think its mostly the chioces we make for them. My DD has best mates who are male and female. She is encouraged to play "boys" games as well as "girls" and we make no such differentiation. If you dress them in all pink and coo at how cute and delicate they are, they freak if they get a speck of dirt in them, or tell them to keep away from smelly dirty boys then yes they's turn into pink clad wussy princesses. If you let them develop thier own ideas, and support them in playing whatever type of games they want then you'll raise a reasonably well rounded little girl who's not a complete pink freak!

I wouldn't worry so much about pink clothes. They are a phase which will be grown out of just like the garments themselves.

What I find more disturbing, is pre teens wearing miniaturised versions of adult clubbing outfits, and T shirts with suggestive slogans.

Also the heel heights on some childrens' shoes, if they wear high heels constantly over long periods of time the tendon at the back of the heel becomes shortened, and the child will have difficulty putting their feet flat on the floor. Sadly, this is more likely to be a girls problem.

DD (9) now completely rejects all things pink & girly as being childish. Phew.

Totally agree with girlywhirly about slogans eg trousers which look OK from the front but have 'Babe' or 'Cute' plastered all over the bum. What's that all about? I wouldn't want attention drawn to my daughter's bottom in this way.

only read the op but i wear pink and like sparkly things

it doesnt mean anything

i do lots of intelligent and physical things too

My two both had a pink and shiny phase, but DD1 is firmly out of it now and DD2 is growing out of it. Phew.

tho i dont read pink books lucky they ar colour coded to keep you away from them

in fact i am wearing my steel toe caps and a pink jumper to move bricks

does it really matter

what does matter is that i am sat here in stead of getting on with it lol

It's a phase, but I agree that the relentless tide of pink is irritating!

I'm more concerned about educating DD1 (5) so she grows out of saying "I would play with that girl because she has a pink dress / long hair / looks pretty".

Turn her into a tomboy. Being relentlessly ungirly myself I seem to have managed this without trying. She is now allergic to pink. Works a treat

My dds have never really been in to pink but I didn't really buy pink stuff. They don't like "girlie" things really but I have perhaps brainwashed them slightly. We're very outdoorsy people but perhaps have gone a bit too far as trying to convince my eight year old not to look like something that's been dragged from a farm is very hard. She also refuses to go to friends' parties if they're make-up based. I personally think it's ludicrous to let six/seven/eight- year old girls hold make up parties. I do wear makeup and get fairly dressed up on a regular basis but can't bear girls' obsessions with make up and clothes at ridiculously young ages. They don't watch much/hardly any tv so maybe the lack of adverts helps.

My DD always picks out boys shoes when we went to Clarkes!
So went to an outdoor shop and kitted her out with nice tough walking boots, a bit OTT for walking to playgroup but really non girly!
She had a pink phase which she has grown out of but she hates the blue/brown thing going on this summer so is in purple currently.
I praise her for being inventive, kind, thoughtful etc, but she still loves hair slides and puts about 7000 in her hair and asks "am I pretty?".
My friends DS went to the Science Museum "who am I?" exhibition and picked out a pink toolkit as an appropriate present for a girl as "girls like pink" to which DD replies "but it's awful" so there you go!
I think bikinis for 4 yo and training bras at 6 is way worse than a bit of pink.
And girls t-shirts with the playboy symbol on? Yurf, dirty old men in macs Ltd must sell those.

i am always the last person to find out. I didnt know hatrick was lockets, I mean I liked 'both' of you but even so....

I havent read the article as I cant be bothered but I am bothered by young girls clothing. My daughter is very pretty (I know I am biased, but so) and a very vulnerable young girl as she has severe learning difficulties. I am very perturbed by some of the clothing for young girls her age (8) @Classic' doesnt seem to be very in fashion. Its all up your ass skirts and low cut tops, fucking bikinis

I would go on but school havve just rang and she is well

she isnt well!

Oh i find that quite offensive, just because little girls well most little girls like pink and tinsel... mini- whores..no girly girls..yes