Dropped off my DD at nursery. She chose some really funky new trousers today - they have a really bright, cute cartoon print, an unusual one, harem style, really bright cuffs. Really striking and she loves them, she's only just grown into them. Nobody else has anything even vaguely similar (OK I am a little proud of that part!).
As she was being dropped off another girl came in wearing full princess outfit. Tiara, dress, wand that she couldn't get through her coat sleeve. Two other girls had put on frilly skirts from the dressing up box and the staff were all making a fuss of their outfits, oh how pretty, oh you're a princess, oh are you a ballerina?
I am torn between "you shouldn't make a fuss of girls' appearance" and "why are you only making a fuss of girls wearing princess outfits?".
In the past, they have made a fuss of her appearance (and of course of other things she's done) but generally she only gets called "pretty" if she's wearing a dress, or has her hair done. Boys of course don't get called pretty or even, frankly, handsome. My son wore similar trousers (not these ones) and people have commented on them, mainly slightly surprised that they were so bright! I don't think anyone has ever called him "handsome" or even "good-looking" though they may have said his trousers were "nice" or "cool".
One of the other little girls was wearing a grey tracksuit but she'd also come over to show what she was playing with (toy phone) and nobody praised her for her pretend play.
(They are all 3 - last year before school - if that's relevant).
I am considering talking to the director about this (it's a big workplace nursery, not part of a chain, Outstanding etc etc).