Comments on: The Problem with Pink http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2009/03/10/the-problem-with-pink/ The life and times of Matthew and April Bauer Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:03:47 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: April http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2009/03/10/the-problem-with-pink/comment-page-1/#comment-16725 April Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:09:46 +0000 http://www.bauerconfidential.com/?p=364#comment-16725 Steph: I think you're right, you can't force little girls to not be girly, it's in our brain chemistry. You might enjoy this book "The Female Brain" that I read for book club and reviewed a while back. http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2008/11/10/book-review-the-female-brain-by-louann-brizendine/ One story I remember the most from the book was about a little girl whose mother was trying very hard not to impose gender stereotypes on her so she wouldn't buy her dolls. One day the mother found the little girl playing with a fire-engine, she had wrapped it up in a blanket and was cradling it like a baby saying "It's OK truckie, don't cry." For the most part, women are just wired that way. It's a fine line between nurturing our inherent female qualities and imposing gender roles. I just want Jocelyn to be happy, so if she decides one day she only wants to wear pink, I'll be fine with that, and she can have toys from "the pink aisle." But you can't blame me if I buy her a microscope or chemistry set (those were my favorites when I was about 10). ;) Steph: I think you’re right, you can’t force little girls to not be girly, it’s in our brain chemistry. You might enjoy this book “The Female Brain” that I read for book club and reviewed a while back. http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2008/11/10/book-review-the-female-brain-by-louann-brizendine/
One story I remember the most from the book was about a little girl whose mother was trying very hard not to impose gender stereotypes on her so she wouldn’t buy her dolls. One day the mother found the little girl playing with a fire-engine, she had wrapped it up in a blanket and was cradling it like a baby saying “It’s OK truckie, don’t cry.” For the most part, women are just wired that way. It’s a fine line between nurturing our inherent female qualities and imposing gender roles. I just want Jocelyn to be happy, so if she decides one day she only wants to wear pink, I’ll be fine with that, and she can have toys from “the pink aisle.” But you can’t blame me if I buy her a microscope or chemistry set (those were my favorites when I was about 10). ;)

]]> By: Steph http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2009/03/10/the-problem-with-pink/comment-page-1/#comment-16604 Steph Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:44:43 +0000 http://www.bauerconfidential.com/?p=364#comment-16604 Pink looks beautiful on little baby girls. Blue looks great on little boys. I have both. Garage saleing and just regular shopping for boys clothing is a lot harder and almost everything is either jungle or sports related. The girls clothing is adorable and the pink and purples make every baby girl look just beautiful! And so much accessories! You can really dress up a little girl. Boys get stuck with sweater vests and the likes.... I say you enjoy the pink while she will still look adorable in it and still wear it! Elsa loves pink! I don't think its sexist in ANY way. She looks great in it and she loves it. Reagan looks great in blue now but when she was a baby it was purple all the time. And she has yet to pick a fav color. I don't think butterflies and kittens and cupcakes are demeaning! These are just things that little girls are naturally attracted to! You will see when she gets bigger that although you may push for her not to be so girlie maybe push her towards more boyish toys, that she would much rather play tea party and be in the pink aisle(as we call it) then anything else. Let her be girlie! She will grow into her own likes and dislikes. Boys naturally want to play war games and girls naturally want to play with dolls and babies and kittens and everything pink. If it wasn't true then there wouldn't be the pink aisle and my girls wouldn't drive me crazy every time we were in a store. Believe me.....i Have three little sisters and two little princesses now! My own father tried to push me towards the boyish things. While I could climb trees and go camping with the boys easily, I LOVED playing house, barbies, dress up, and wearing pretty dresses. I still love getting dolled up and all the things that come naturally to every girl/woman! So chill on it, and just enjoy the time you have to doll her up. Some of my best memories are of me and the girls sitting around painting toenails pink! Pink looks beautiful on little baby girls. Blue looks great on little boys. I have both. Garage saleing and just regular shopping for boys clothing is a lot harder and almost everything is either jungle or sports related. The girls clothing is adorable and the pink and purples make every baby girl look just beautiful! And so much accessories! You can really dress up a little girl. Boys get stuck with sweater vests and the likes…. I say you enjoy the pink while she will still look adorable in it and still wear it! Elsa loves pink! I don’t think its sexist in ANY way. She looks great in it and she loves it. Reagan looks great in blue now but when she was a baby it was purple all the time. And she has yet to pick a fav color.
I don’t think butterflies and kittens and cupcakes are demeaning! These are just things that little girls are naturally attracted to! You will see when she gets bigger that although you may push for her not to be so girlie maybe push her towards more boyish toys, that she would much rather play tea party and be in the pink aisle(as we call it) then anything else. Let her be girlie! She will grow into her own likes and dislikes.
Boys naturally want to play war games and girls naturally want to play with dolls and babies and kittens and everything pink. If it wasn’t true then there wouldn’t be the pink aisle and my girls wouldn’t drive me crazy every time we were in a store. Believe me…..i Have three little sisters and two little princesses now! My own father tried to push me towards the boyish things. While I could climb trees and go camping with the boys easily, I LOVED playing house, barbies, dress up, and wearing pretty dresses. I still love getting dolled up and all the things that come naturally to every girl/woman!
So chill on it, and just enjoy the time you have to doll her up. Some of my best memories are of me and the girls sitting around painting toenails pink!

]]> By: April http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2009/03/10/the-problem-with-pink/comment-page-1/#comment-15711 April Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:13:42 +0000 http://www.bauerconfidential.com/?p=364#comment-15711 I think you're both right, that there are more clothes for girls, but they're all so similar there might as well not be. It's all pink! The volume for boys is less but the variety is more and not so demeaning in my opinion! Thanks for the birthday wishes Amy! I think you’re both right, that there are more clothes for girls, but they’re all so similar there might as well not be. It’s all pink! The volume for boys is less but the variety is more and not so demeaning in my opinion!
Thanks for the birthday wishes Amy!

]]> By: Amy http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2009/03/10/the-problem-with-pink/comment-page-1/#comment-15355 Amy Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:15:50 +0000 http://www.bauerconfidential.com/?p=364#comment-15355 I agree - I've always hated pink. My mom hated pink and never dressed me in it - I think mostly because she didn't think I looked good in it. I get turned off by all the princess pink stuff that my nieces wear. I think baby boy clothes are cuter than the girl stuff (but maybe I'm biased!). I love the bugs, the lions, the primary colors of Kyle's clothes. I too will agree that there are always twice as many girl clothes than boys in stores. It always seems that whatever size we are looking for is extremely picked over. Jocelyn is a cutie! Happy Birthday (late) April! I agree – I’ve always hated pink. My mom hated pink and never dressed me in it – I think mostly because she didn’t think I looked good in it. I get turned off by all the princess pink stuff that my nieces wear. I think baby boy clothes are cuter than the girl stuff (but maybe I’m biased!). I love the bugs, the lions, the primary colors of Kyle’s clothes. I too will agree that there are always twice as many girl clothes than boys in stores. It always seems that whatever size we are looking for is extremely picked over. Jocelyn is a cutie! Happy Birthday (late) April!

]]> By: Andrea http://www.bauerconfidential.com/2009/03/10/the-problem-with-pink/comment-page-1/#comment-15141 Andrea Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:34:22 +0000 http://www.bauerconfidential.com/?p=364#comment-15141 She is such a sweetie! I also hate pink, but not because of feminist values (although that's the reason I'll use from now on) but because I always felt I looked uggy in pink. I much prefer the colour blue. Boys may have more fun patterns but have you ever noticed how much more space is devoted to girls and their pretty outfits in children's clothing outlets? I found this quite frustrating at first - the boy stuff always seemed to be much more picked over. So I guess it all balances out and no mommy is happy. She is such a sweetie!

I also hate pink, but not because of feminist values (although that’s the reason I’ll use from now on) but because I always felt I looked uggy in pink. I much prefer the colour blue.

Boys may have more fun patterns but have you ever noticed how much more space is devoted to girls and their pretty outfits in children’s clothing outlets? I found this quite frustrating at first – the boy stuff always seemed to be much more picked over. So I guess it all balances out and no mommy is happy.

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