Anyone else find "pink princesses" ubiquity deeply disturbing?

[Annner]

Have a look at this

After years of wondering whether I do read into everything too much, this site is a breath of fresh air.

[Hulababy]

I just cannot bring myself to get worked up over what colour clothes my young child wishes to wear, or what latest toy they chose to play with.

I grew up wearing typically gender specific clothes and playing with gender specigfic toys through choice. Have not yet turned into some soppy princess now I am an adult. Thnk my DD will cope. Hopefully I am a good role model for DD amd can ensure she gets equal opprtunities to all things, so that she can make her own decisions forom them.

[ILoveDolly]

I think that the pink debate is useful as it highlights how narrow the gender roles are for both sexes even at pre-school age. Need I refer to threads bemoaning lack of clothes for boys which don't call them 'naughty' or 'little monsters' etc

Incidentally I found some excellent 'boyfriend style' jeans for dd in Adams that had - no floral embroidery - no sparkly bits - no pink! They look like grown up baggy jeans and are so cute on. She has several pairs of boys trousers as I want plain jeans and cords for her, especially when we go walking or gardening, not stupid frilly embroidered sparkly ones.

[scrummymum]

My DD goes through stages. Sometimes she is very girly and wants skirts, dresses and pink stuff and sometimes all she wants to do is dress in her jeans and trainers. She is 5 but knows her own mind. Its only a colour. It doesn't mean anything. Just gives somebody something to write another thesis on.

[piscesmoon]

It is a very short phase and meaningless. If they like pink I can't see the harm in it. I love wearing turquoise-I would be a bit annoyed if people read things into it and tried to get me to wear other colours merely because they thought I should.

[Oliveoil]

are you really analysing the colour pink?

really?

give
me
strength

[scottishmummy]

primark is a bear garden at best of times.chaotic with clothes on floor.pushy shuvey folk long queues

[hunkermunker]

I went into Primark the other day. The entire floor, purportedly "children's clothes" bar one tiny, tiny corner for skulls and crossbones on sweatshirts was taken up with a sea of pink. Oh, and there were about two racks in another corner with cushions and other such homewares.

The floor was the same size as the one downstairs which had a sizeable men's clothing section, ditto women's.

Why do people buy their girls so many clothes? Next is very similar, though the shop generally has a more equal distribution of space - but the sale racks are always full of girls' clothing.

[SoupDragon]

It's also a lack of choice. Go into Clarks and look at the selection of girl's doodles on offer this summer.

Boys suffer the same difficulties - there are always numerous threads on MN whinging about being rail-roaded into Sludge.

[SoupDragon]

Stuff all the analysing, pink is a foul colour and I refuse to buy it where I can avoid it (t's proved to be surprisingly easy)

What is interesting is that BabyDragon only began to claim pink was her favourite colour when she started nursery. It's nothing to do with personal choice and everything to do with peer pressure.

[cissycharlton]

I don't think the issue is about the decision to put your daughter in a pink dress/pink pasmina. There has been a general movement towards 'girlification' which doesn't suit everybody.

If a girl turned up to a party in jeans and a top with boots or trainers as I perhaps did when I was a young teenager she may feel more comfortable but she would look very out of place. I think that's a shame.

[scottishmummy]

expend your energies to education,emotional welfare and good mental health.

not a colour

so what if your dd wears pink doesn't equate pimp my bitch.just a colour get a perspective people

[vlc]

Actually, I think the site that the OP linked to is actually campaigning for MORE choice, SM.

Choices other than pink princesses. It seems to me that the choice of activities, clothing, interests, toys and so on is getting more and more restricted - to ONLY pink, ONLY princesses and fairies.

I'm with you on wanting more choice.

[scottishmummy]

hate the concept of role model.are parents so bereft they need an external so called role model

talk about not being unable to see the pink wood for the pink tree's for the pink leaves

i love pink as a coour,a fabby neutral,easy to accesorise colour

pink pashmina hasn't held me back at all

what form of parental anal control is this that you so are a colour.god save us from navel gazing loons

how do you seek to promote female autonomy by banning choice

[hunkermunker]

Ah, that thread was too long - am practising MNLite

Does it also refer to this one?

[Tortington]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/763932-Responsibility-to-let-girls-be-tom-boys this thread refers to that article

[hunkermunker]

Interesting and topical article...

[JodieO]

I agree with Custy wholeheartedly.

[Tortington]

bollocks.

it

is

a
pink

dress

not

a chain

to
the

kitchen

sink

jesus - somepeople will make an issue out of shit all

[scrummymum]

I don't get what all the fuss is about. My DD loves pink, dresses, glitter, fluff and disney films (especially the ones where the princess falls in love and her only wish is marrying the prince). On the other hand, she loves playing football, with cars and has plenty of clothes that aren't pink.

My DS is only 1 but already has a couple of tops that have a some pink in them. His favourite things to play with are a train and my DD's dolls.

I was very similar when I was little. Loved girly and boy based toys/clothes etc.

Just because girls like pink doesn't mean they can't be bright and independant and if boys like blue, they won't turn out to be macho pigs.

It is how they are brought up, not what colour their new top is.

[cissycharlton]

I have two boys but having been somewhat of a tomboy myself I've looked upon this princess obsession with horror.

I've no doubt some little girls are into this but when I think back to my own childhood I can't remember any of us girls being so obsessed with such things.

Hurray for making all girls feel they are normal.

[Mij]

Canute, I didn't know that about the ELC - how sad.

Skramble - the colour itself isn't the problem, it's what it's come to symbolise (and blue too, for that matter).

Fran, yes I agree, which is why I will support the campaign (although I actually think stereotyping can be as damaging to boys' aspirations, ambitions and sense of self). Also I'm a coward. While I will challenge certain assumptions and statements that other parents make about my/other people's kids based on what they're wearing or how they're playing, I don't really want to have a row every time I'm in the blooming playground. I have enough trouble stopping people removing DD from play equipment because they think she's too small to be safe on it - she's small for her age but more physically competent than many of her peers.

Most of us on this thread will be good examples of parenting that showed us that we have choices and to ignore the stereotypes. My parents did work hard to give me a wide variety of toys and experiences. BUT what I experienced in the wider world was as big an influence, and gave me some pretty hefty insecurities. So society-wide opinions do matter. It's not just what we let our kids have, it's the culture they have to grow up in that concerns me.

[skramble]

Nothing wrong with a bit of pink, it is uplifting and there is a shade that suits everyone, even men can wear pink, shock horror.

[EachPeachPearMum]

Maybe this thread should link in with Xenia's here...

[choppychopster]

Yuck! They are truely horrible.