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[november_girl]

This morning ephraim and I have been looking at things for children's rooms. I have found the gender stereotypes to be shocking - why on earth do things need to be labelled as "for girls" or "for boys"? Why does it seem that there's almost always only a choice between something pale pink with princesses on or an identical thing in blue with tractors on?

Comments

[squeezypaws]

There are always primary colours! Charles's room is purple walls red blinds, white bed multicolour rug, green pictures, blue boxes etc...

We got all beige and white blankies and sheets etc.. as the pastel shades of either blue or pink come to that were nauseating. But we have had this conversation before I think.

I understand it is obligatory to refer to your daughter as a "princess". You can even get "princess on board" car stickers which I can't visualise in the back of your car for some reason.

[rjstra]

Yes I can see the jazz musician being a suitable form of rebellion in your house.

[i_smell_shite]

The Wickes information has kept me smiling all day: thank you!

[westernind]

No offence (truly!) but I'm kind of gobsmacked that you hadn't been aware of the extent of the gender stereotyping before now. (One odd thing is that the colours have reversed some time in the last hundred years. Round the time of the first world war, blue was the feminine colour, and pink - as a paler shade of red - was masculine.)

How about a deep-sea mural? ...and paint the other walls in a toning colour.

[november_girl]

I knew about the colour reversal thing, which makes the current situation even more ridiculous! However the gender stereotyping wasn't around when I was a kid, and I haven't really had anything much to do with children between then and now - it's not like I go into children's shops (or even adult shops, mostly) at all,* and have only recently had an incentive to look at kid's stuff on the web

*e.g. my niece's Christmas present was something I stumbled across by the till in PC World when I popped in for an ink cartridge.

[caddyman]

I think the stereotype probably was around when you were a kid, it's just that mass-marketing wasn't quite as all-pervasive or the media quite so omni-present.

[november_girl]

Maybe, not not in any knid of active way. e.g. I only recall one girl at school who was all pink and bows, and she was teased to high heaven about being girly and sissy.

As for me, I can only recall ever having had three pink items of clothing in my life: a pink skirt when I was about seven, a cerise shorts jumpsuit thing when I was about ten and a dusky pink cocktail dress that I bought in my late twenties. As a kid, most of my stuff was blue or orange or brown or cream. I don't recall there being much pink around when I went shopping - I certainly wasn't opposed to it as I loved pastel colours as a child, but there just didn't seem to be anything like that around. I know I was a tomboy, but the other girls weren't dressed so differently - they just wore skirts and Disney branded reversible sweaters more.

And furniture certainly wasn't labelled as gender specific!

[velvet_the_cat]

How about plain walls in colour(s) of choice with borders and/or stickers?

Although there's definitely the normal stereotyped stuff, it looks like there might be some more generic kiddy stuff through this lot: http://www.ukwallpaper.co.uk/products/childrens-products.htm There are even cute alphabet ones under the RoomMates collection.

[november_girl]

I really really loathe borders and stickers - even more than I loathe cuddly toys (NB I a not going to deny little 'un cuddly toys cos I think they're irritating and pointless though). >lj user="ephraim"> is very much in favour of them, but I hate the way they break up a room and also they tend to peel at the edges and look shabby very quickly. I would also have concerns about them being peeled off and eaten.

Thanks for the link, but we really need to get hanging today so will be heading out to Homebase and/or B&Q in a minute to see what they have in stock. Link is good though - we both love the Around The World Oriental Wallpaper, although ephraim says it's not appropriate for a little girl's room. Maybe when we redo our own bedroom...

[xullrae]

Wu and Rory's bedroom are painted a neutral nearly-white. Wu's baby clothes were all sorts of colours. We bought her trains as well as dolls. We encourage her to play with boys as much as girls. We don't let her watch TV adverts, and generally we shop for her presents on her own. What colour clothes does she want? Yep, pink. What stories does she like? Fairies and princesses. Some of it is definitely nature rather than nurture, the rest I hope will change as she gets older.

[november_girl]

That's interesting.

I loved my train set as a child and am going to make damn sure my daughter gets one! And she'll get the Scalextric that I was never allowed as well (mainly because it's in the cupboard already).