I am over pink.
Nearly four years into parenthood, and with two daughters and no sons — it is the only colour of choice in my house.
Even my own wardrobe seems to be getting pinker — Mother’s Day gifts of pyjamas are chosen by my eldest who can’t imagine anyone not sharing her favourite colour.
Miss Nearly-Four is happiest when dressed head to toe in her preferred hue: hot pink shoes, cerise leggings, fuchsia top, and pale pink headband.
That her outfit clashes is irrelevant: she’s pinkified and happy about it.
We certainly didn’t predict this pink palette dominating our household, which moves seamlessly from my daughters’ wardrobes to their toys.
We have a pink and peppermint toy kitchen, with matching pink accessories. Pink dress ups. Pink craft. You get the idea.
I would prefer the palette to be gender neutral — but my house screams little girl.
While most of the time I don’t care, this year my daughter has asked for ‘girl lego’ for her birthday and that really annoys me.
After decades of just lego, there are two types of the small plastic figurines — one blatantly pink and purple- one more in more masculine hues.
Lego Friends (as it is officially marketed) features a bunch of girls who like to talk and ‘hang out with their BFFs’. Vomit.
My kids don’t watch TV with ads in it, or read magazines that market to children. But somehow, my 3.5 year old is aware that there are toys specifically for girls, and others for boys.
We have bought her toy dinosaurs in the past. She has toy cars. But her preference is for pink.
A recent study by a PhD student in the US found toys in that country are becoming more and more gender divided. That is: toys for boys, and something completely different for the females of the species.
In the 70s, toys were less about pink or blue, and more about their functionality. Now look at any toy catalogue and toys are specifically pushed at one gender.
One of my friends has twins — a boy and a girl — and both love dancing lessons. They also both wear tutus- because her son doesn’t like missing out on dressing up. Other children have teased him for ‘dressing like a girl’, but he’s defiant.
It’s a small, but significant step that my friend and her son are taking.
Internationally, others are taking the same steps. The push to make toys gender neutral in shops is gaining traction with a non-for-profit called Let Toys Be Toys calling for toy retailers to group toys by genre rather than sex.
They have a point. If toys were categorised by race, we’d all be horrified. But tell us our daughters need a barbie doll, our sons a toy gun, and we seem to be ok with it.
In Sweden, the country’s largest toy chain has made the leap already, publishing gender-neutral toy catalogues and rearranging their stores.
I know I be accused of being overly politically correct. But kids really should be allowed to be kids. I’m all for some pink in my life, but I hate that my girls might be choosing their toys solely based on colour.
.png)