<<Rant Alert>>
As a non-girly girl myself and the mother of a young daughter, I would like an explanation as to why, in the year 2010, we as a society are still pushing outdated and frankly, offensive gender roles on children. Why does the McDonalds drive through ask if you want a boy toy or a girl toy with a happy meal? What if I have boy who wants the princess or a girl who wants the robot? Harassing the teenager at the cash register wouldn’t solve anything and would just make me look like a kook.
Toys R Us, which I avoid at all costs anyway, pisses me off every time I go in. Tell me why action figures are only for boys and kitchen sets are only for girls. And everything for girls is pink! An ocean of pink. Even the board games are pink! Why?! What purpose does it serve to insist that girls be sweet and docile and boy be active and war-like? (Guns as toys may very well be a later rant.) Teaching girls to be “lady-like” is NOT preparing them for life. I can’t even count how many grown women I know who are still trying to overcome that early childhood training to be nice – in other words, passive.
We went out to buy Pinky a new winter coat. Want one that’s not pink? Tough shit for you! They evidently only manufacture pink. (By the way, we call her Pinky because when she gets really mad, her whole body turns fuscia. Definitely not lady-like)
The world will have millions of opportunities to make Pinky doubt herself as she grows up. Is it too much to ask that she be given at least a year or two to develop her own personality and preferences? If at that point, she wants to be a pink princess, then fine – I’ll get over it. Based on her personality, she will probably want to wear pink sequins, while playing full-contact football.
I want both of my children to have every opportunity, to seek authentic happiness, and to feel at ease with who they are. Is that too much to ask? I did some research and I’m happy (and relieved) to report that I’m not the only ranting mom. Check out Pink Stinks. A campaign in the UK for seeking out true, realistic role models for girls and for calling out corporations that manufacture products for children and perpetuate the narrow interpretation of what girls should like.
I’m going now to dress my baby girl in green and pour myself a cocktail.
