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Strollerderby
Pink Clothes for Boys?
As I alluded to the other day, prior to the 1940s the color pink was considered a color for boys, not girls. Somehow, that perception flip-flopped so that now pink is seen exclusively as feminine. We see it in toy stores, in clothing choices, even in the ribbons we wear to ward off breast cancer. Quite simply, in today’s society, pink is for girls. So what do you do if your daughter was born first?
That’s the dilemma Amy Graff faced recently. She’s headed for some fun in the snow with her family and her son had outgrown the ski bib he wore two years ago. He hadn’t, however, outgrown his older sister’s “powder-puff pink” snowsuit. Graff is not big on gender stereotypes and wouldn’t have a problem with the pink suit on a boy, but faced opposition from her husband. “My husband read my mind, and sternly said, ‘Our son is NOT wearing those,’” she wrote.
At five years old, I would be perfectly fine with putting my son in a pink snowsuit. Were he older, I might hesitate and, certainly, would ask the boy what he thought, but if he was okay with it, I would be too. What about you? Would you let your son wear his sister’s hand-me-downs?
Photo: dee
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13 Comments
Katrina commented on Jan 02 10 at 1:29 pmI think it’s totally fine if the kid is okay with it. I mean, who cares what other people think. I think that one of the best things about being in the younger generation is not being obsessed with what “the neighbors” will think of our parenting choices. Pink is fine for anyone, I would be more concerned about spending money unnecessarily to buy something blue.
Larissa commented on Jan 02 10 at 4:20 pmBetter for the kid to be wet and cold out in the snow? Gimme a break.
Lisa commented on Jan 02 10 at 5:17 pmI’ve tried really hard to fight the pink is for girls things (only have boys). When I was looking for a doll for my son to help him understand the incoming baby, they only have white girls (in pink) and black boys (in blue). I decided the white doll in pink would be less confusing; he loves that doll and has picked out a few toys that are pink himself.
jenny tries too hard commented on Jan 02 10 at 6:14 pmI don’t know….if you can afford a ski vacation, you can afford the proper attire. When you’re talking about a six-month-old or a two-year-old “proper attire” is what fits and keeps the kid warm and dry. But for older, socially aware kids, like the five-year-old in this article “proper attire” also means something that the parents and kid agree sends the right message about the wearer. “What does this say about me?” is a plenty reasonable question for parents to teach kids to ask right after they master “Is it clean?” and “Does it fit?” If the kid and parents are fine with the clear message that a pink jumper sends, well, okay, but the dad here clearly isn’t okay with it and the kid doesn’t seem to really be okay with it, either.
I have let my boys wear hand-me-downs from girls, mostly jeans and other things like that, and my daughter wore a ton of her brothers’ clothes. Once the kids were old enough to know that they were a boy or a girl, though, I did try to dress them in a way that wouldn’t cause other people to confuse them by addressing or referring to them as the opposite.
MsFortune commented on Jan 03 10 at 12:04 pmWe borrowed a pink snowsuit for my son for a trip this winter. I’m sure with time the scars will heal and he will be just fine.
Kayt commented on Jan 03 10 at 6:00 pmI wouldn’t mind it if my son didn’t mind, but my husband would freak.
depemnds commented on Jan 03 10 at 11:56 pmone snow trip when the boy has to wear pink because other things won’t fit won’t kill him; but to subject him to a whole season of pink, that’s a bit absurd.
Anonymous2 commented on Jan 04 10 at 8:25 amWe’re recently in this situation, as we have a 6-year-old daughter and a 2-month-old son. People have shown out and out horror that we would re-use our daughter’s baby blankets and hooded bath towels (even ones with very little pink) for our son (even in the privacy of our own home!) My husband has absolutely no problem with it and my favorite phrase has become, “his penis won’t shrivel up and fall off”. I think what it comes down to is homophobia. I think that especially the older generation has this vague fear that if anything pink touches their grandson it’ll turn him gay, which is, of course, patently ridiculous.
PlumbLucky commented on Jan 04 10 at 8:40 amHmmm…the last ski vacation we went on didn’t exactly cost a lot so I’m not sure about the idea that if you can afford a ski vacation, you can afford appropriate attire.
I suspect that this is why my sister who has an eldest daughter was fairly adamant on making sure the major things (crib bedding, bouncy seat, jumparoo, high chair, snowsuit, etc.) weren’t pink, as she hoped for more than one child. Sure enough, child no. 2 and no. 3 were boys.Cracking up over the “his penis won’t shrivel up and fall off” phrase. That’s funny!
SteelRigged commented on Jan 04 10 at 2:14 pmComments This year, as we were getting ready to our friend’s annual new Years hangover brunch my Husband declared that we should all wear pink: me, him, and our 1 year old son. So we did. Dad in a pink button down, baby in a pink onsie, and mom in a pink blouse. We looked great.
ginab commented on Jan 27 10 at 10:11 pmThe fact that it is okay for girls to wear boys things but still not okay for boys to wear girls things, shows just how entrenched our anti-male sexism exists in our society. To paraphrase Joan Ryan, it’s okay for girls to wear patns, but we make damned sure that boys stay boys. Why? All this does is to oppress males.
Why won’t our society let males have more choices? We are letting females have more choices all the time.
Tiana S commented on Apr 11 11 at 3:19 pmWhy is it such an issue if boys wear pink?
Girls wear blue ALL THE TIME without issue!!!!
Black Sheep commented on May 31 11 at 12:21 pmMy preschool age sons like all colors, including pink and purple. It is so ridiculous that colors are associated with genders! I hope they continue to like pink, as well as rainbows and butterflies, also popular right now with them.
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