Pink question

Don Kedick

catallus wrote: »

BUT I JUST WANTED TO BE PRETTY

You were pretty, they just didn't fancy ya.

catallus

Don Kedick wrote: »

You were pretty, they just didn't fancy ya.

But I had so much love to give!

It's not fair.

Annasopra

bodice ripper wrote: »

not a good argument, its the same one that people who don't want gay people to adopt use....

Meh.... I'm not going to trust Fran on a whim.

bodice ripper

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Meh.... I'm not going to trust Fran on a whim.

Oh, I wouldn't either. But i would avoid using "trusting your instincts" as an argument. Seen it used before to justify being an asshat.

GalwayGuitar

Shenshen wrote: »

'Tis the season .... the season where people like me, more or less grown up these days but without offspring of my own, have to venture forth into various toy shops to find gifts for the little ones our friends and family have produced.

And while I usually find that highly annoying in itself, this year the pinkness in the girls' sections really, really got on my nerves. Maybe it was my innner feminist, or maybe it was my inner grinch, but I just hated this gender-separation. And when I walked into the boys' section, was I greeted with blue in all its blueness? No. Colours in abundance for the little lads,

So now I'm wondering. What is the pink doing?
Is it, as some schools of thought would have it, limiting girls? Is it reducing their choices to anything to do with beauty, dresses, dolls and unicorns? I somehow doubt that.
Yes, most girls love pink. But does that mean they'd reject a toy for being of a different colour? Not likely.
Most girls would have no problem going into the boys' sections and finding something there that they like.

What the pink is really doing, in my opinion, is making sure the boys stay away from toys that society decided are "girls only". The colour is a boy-repelent.
It's not there to make sure girls stick to their gender roles, it's there to make sure the boys don't stray.
And that's annoying me even more.
We've spent decades trying to achieve gender equality, but we're forgetting about equality for boys. Girls are encouraged to take part in activities which previously would have been a boy's domain, but the boys are still stuck in the same old roles.

It's a disgrace, and it needs to stop.
Any suggestions on how we can get boys to step into the forbidden worlds of the pink toys?

White girl problems.

RobYourBuilder

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

There are plenty of examples young transgender children.

Kids cannot be transgender, nor should parents be putting that seed in their head. Identifying as trans is an adult decision, not a decision an underdeveloped child can make.

Annasopra

RobYourBuilder wrote: »

Kids cannot be transgender, nor should parents be putting that seed in their head. Identifying as trans is an adult decision, not a decision an underdeveloped child can make.

Who said? Fair enough if this is just your opinion but dont state it as fact.

suicide_circus

It's only when I read threads like this that I realise what absolute facists my parents were for buying me a toy train set for Christmas rather than a pink barbie doll.

Gender studies graduates need to keep themselves in work too I suppose.

RDM_83 again

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Who said? Fair enough if this is just your opinion but dont state it as fact.

Actually thats an interesting question which i am sure Links could answer, but in terms of neurology in a pre-puberty child is there an identifiable difference, I mean the secondary sexual characteristics haven't developed yet so perhaps the equivalent hasn't occurred in terms of the brain?

Also if your using the argument that it makes a difference if a kid is trans your basically admitting there is sex* determined characteristics that are exhibited in childhood.

In terms of the blue vs pink, does it matter? If your bothered couldn't you find most toys in a more neutral or "real" colour e.g A red Massey Fergusson tractor toy.
Also if a child wants to play a certain way they will, I know I made a fairly funky (and mildly dangerous) sword from hammering a piece of pipe and there was many many sticks that were guns. The thing is though as an adult/teenager I never considered joining the army or liked the idea of actually fighting.

*Using Sex rather than gender to refer to the "sex" of the brain rather than outward physical characteristics.

Mink

My nearly 2.5yr old son is getting a play kitchen from santy. It's one made by tefal, gender neutral colours I guess, and came recommended from friends who'd gotten one for their boys and girls.

My husband has finally come round to the idea but we are apparently to call it a "chef station".

I told people in work what he was getting and was laughed at. I got the idea from the fact that he was playing happily with one in playgroup and he likes to help me cook.

In this day and age he will not be moving out of my house until he can cook, clean, iron, wash his own clothes etc. basic life skills that all start with role play as a small kid. He won't be waited on by me or any other woman... Or man.

He loves princess Sofia and doc mcstuffins as much as Mickey Mouse and all the rest and all power to him.

Custardpi

Fair play to you. I still don't get why kitchens (as opposed to baby dolls, princess costumes etc) fell under the category of girls toys. I remember as a child being quite happy to play with both boys & girls at cooking. Never had such a luxury item as a play kitchen though. We had to make do with old pots & used sticks as utensils. Great fun.

qt3.14

AnimalChin wrote: »

I think things like playing football etc appeal to everyone. It's one of those universal things. A boy wanting a play kitchen is totally different.

Boys and girls like different things in general. Accept it. If a few go against 'the norm'. Fine, but until they grow up a bit and gain a sense of their own identity, leave them be and accept them for who they are at this point in time.

Bullshít. My mrs is a woeful cook so I do most of it. The little fella plays cooking a long with all the other "normal" boy things cause that's what he sees his daddy doing and he wants to be just like me!

GalwayGuitar

suicide_circus wrote: »

It's only when I read threads like this that I realise what absolute facists my parents were for buying me a toy train set for Christmas rather than a pink barbie doll.

Gender studies graduates need to keep themselves in work too I suppose.

Bet you turned out as a cis gendered, heteronormative white male. Disgusting.

NegativeCreep

I don't think you have to be a feminist to take issue with this. Its ridiculous the pinkness and the "girliness" of toys that are intended for girls. I have a niece who has absolutely no interest in those toys.

She's obsessed with the hunger games and insurgents so I bought her a nerf bow and arrow set and Bought my nephew a nerf gun and they had great fun running around and shooting each other.

In short, there's nothing stopping you buying a "boys" toy for a girl. Its not about getting boys interested in the colour pink.

efb

My sister was disgusted at pink Lego targeted at girls- lego used always be gender nuetral

ectoraige

My son would love to have a lockable diary, but the only ones he's seen on sale are pink - way too uncool for an eight-year-old with peers to impress. He was brought to see Ellie Goulding last year, he was super-excited for months leading up to it, but didn't tell anybody in school, he was sensitive to the fact it might be considered a bit girly. He also loved when his sister got a little fashion design pad - he "helped" her an awful lot. If you could still get them, I know he'd love a fashion wheel, but wouldn't be seen dead with one by his friends. He's also become a soccer and Man City fan, despite no real interest in either at home - it's all from his peers.

The pinkification is a vicious cycle, and probably the first example of how damaging the peer pressure to conform can be. It really saddens me.

NegativeCreep

ectoraige wrote: »

My son would love to have a lockable diary, but the only ones he's seen on sale are pink - way too uncool for an eight-year-old with peers to impress. He was brought to see Ellie Goulding last year, he was super-excited for months leading up to it, but didn't tell anybody in school, he was sensitive to the fact it might be considered a bit girly. He also loved when his sister got a little fashion design pad - he "helped" her an awful lot. If you could still get them, I know he'd love a fashion wheel, but wouldn't be seen dead with one by his friends. He's also become a soccer and Man City fan, despite no real interest in either at home - it's all from his peers.

The pinkification is a vicious cycle, and probably the first example of how damaging the peer pressure to conform can be. It really saddens me.

My phone won't allow me to post a link here but I've found a lot of lockable diaries with a pirate theme that are aimed for boys on Amazon. Hope you can source one for the little man before Christmas

RobYourBuilder

This one looks the business; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peaceable-Kingdom-Press-Diary-Pirates/dp/B001TNVYVQ

axel rose

I read through some of these and really have to laugh at these. I am the mother of a 6 year old who LOVES pink. He has the dolls, the dolls house, the pram, kitchen...loves fairies etc etc. (He also has the cars, lego and footballs etc.)

He's 6 now and has been like that since he was 2 years old. Hand on heart- the only people that have had 'issue' with it are adults. There hasn't been a child that has noticed so far.

He doesn't need my bloody support or approval- he's doing what all children do-play with toys!! Pink is no more for girls than the number 3 is. It's marketing.

Pink is what it always has been- a colour. It's the adults that need to stop assigning gender to colours and toys.

His entire wish list this year has been totally from the pink section- I couldn't care less :-D

steveone

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

boys will play with dolls

pulling the heads off them,feeding them to the dog and burying them in flower beds

And tatooing, piercing and blowing them up

braddun

don't worry what colour the toy is

what does the child like,ask the parents

ectoraige

axel rose wrote: »

I read through some of these and really have to laugh at these. I am the mother of a 6 year old who LOVES pink. He has the dolls, the dolls house, the pram, kitchen...loves fairies etc etc. (He also has the cars, lego and footballs etc.)

He's 6 now and has been like that since he was 2 years old. Hand on heart- the only people that have had 'issue' with it are adults. There hasn't been a child that has noticed so far.

He doesn't need my bloody support or approval- he's doing what all children do-play with toys!! Pink is no more for girls than the number 3 is. It's marketing.

Pink is what it always has been- a colour. It's the adults that need to stop assigning gender to colours and toys.

His entire wish list this year has been totally from the pink section- I couldn't care less :-D

Mine would have been like that, sadly, in the last year or so he's become conscious of how others might perceive him.

sbsquarepants

I know what you're saying, but it's not really all that sad when you think about it. Would you really want him to grow up to be the sort of person who gives no thought whatsoever to how others perceive him? Once you tell and more importantly show him that it's fine to be whoever or whatever he is (within reason of course), then he'll be just fine, he'll grow up and just naturally gravitate towards his own type of people like we all do.
I have grown (almost) kids and I have a two year old (almost) daughter sometimes I think it would be great if she could just stay at that age forever and never have to face the bullshít that comes with growing up - but in reality she'd be loosing out, not gaining. It's just the way it works.