(no subject)

[kcobweb]

In the course of running errands this morning, I was at Target, and found myself poking around the Infant department. Everything is so gendered, and put into its neat little compartments. This bugs me to no end. (The pink outfits have flowers; the blue ones have trains or puppies.)

Then I found the little packaged sets - several onesies with matching socks, or something. It was clear which you were supposed to pick boy- or girl-wise. The Pinky-Girl package had one that said "Little Princess" across the front. The Blue-Boy package had "Baby Genius" in the same place.

After MUCH hunting and searching, I managed to unearth a gender-neutral package (i.e. yellow and light green) that said "Baby Genius" as well.

Can I just not participate in this entire process?? I think this part bugs me more than anything else. I want to take back my announcement of the gender findings of the ultrasound, and tell everyone we're just having an it, in the hopes that I won't be inundated with frilly pink and Little Princess and lack-of-Genius.

But I know that's too much to ask.

It's just all so sick and wrong.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I wound up buying all my baby clothes in the boy's section, because boys got bright colors and girls got only pastel pink. A total stranger once yelled at me on the subway for dressing a girl in purple. Sigh.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

My husband's suggestion (to the general ickiness of baby clothes and colors) was to buy a whole of Rit dye in colors like black. :)

Yeah, I'll definitely be shopping on both sides of that aisle, such as it is. There were some very cute red outfits.

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Babies (except newborns) actually look smashing in black. They've got the complexion for it.

Oh, and if you're doing a bassinet, king-sized pillowcases make perfect bassinet sheets. Easy to put on, easy to wash, and easy to reiuse when it's outgrown.

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

Arrrrrrrrgh.

When chicagowench and bsdinobaby had their snarklet, we threw them a baby shower, at which they received many bizarre onesies. One was black with a little skull on it. *g*

I'm not sure going quite that far out would suit you and galagan, but given what you describe, I can see why "alternative" onesies would be so tempting!

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I did find a link to a website somewhere that sells heavy metal onesies. AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, etc. Nothing I had to have, though.

Skulls sound good, right about now.

[trope.livejournal.com]

I got in lotsa lotsa trouble for knitting a white, baby blue, and lavender blanket for a friend who's having a little girl. ("But those aren't girl colors!" my mother exclaimed. I was stupid enough to take it to a family party the next day. They all sided with her.) If it were my kid, I would get so sick of pink. You'll get enough of it, no doubt, when she goes through gender identification and insists on pink dresses. No sense speeding up the process.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I've thought about lying, if the ultrasound shows that we're having a girl.

I can't believe that in 2004 it's still this hard to avoid the gendered messages.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I can't believe that in 2004 it's still this hard to avoid the gendered messages.

Just for babies though. I mean, you can be a rocket scientist or a truck driver when you grow up, little girl, but meanwhile, today let's dress you in frilly pink with appliqued flowers. Just so you know your place.

[chicagowench.livejournal.com]

Kick me, when I am not on my way out of town, to assemble some links and brands for you. We're fighting multiple battles: the gender stereotyping, bland uniformity, and my hatred of all things banal (like cute widdle bears on everything baby related). We shop extremely carefully and do a lot of mix and match in bold colors, but I also want to avoid Sean being in all navy blue, dark green, and grey- as seems to be my options for a boy (seriously. Go look in the ages 4-7 section and you'll see what I'm facing in a few years: I will be able to dress my child like Alex P Keaton or a Skate Punk, with nothing inbetween).

Will send links when 1. caffeinated 2. have time.

[kcobweb.livejournal.com]

I'd appreciate that.

I'm already envisioning dressing my girl (assuming the ultrasound was right, blah blah etc.) in boys clothes sometimes - they get better color selection (lots of primary colors). Appliqued trains and trucks? Sure, why not. I told galagan that I'll probably get accused of trying to turn my child into a transvestite lesbian hooker just for that, but of course, I see no real problem with that anyway.

I've already started compiling a mental list of all the ways in which I will be a Bad Mother. These include diverse items such as dressing a girl in blue or red or darker colors, not wanting a Winnie-the-Pooh or Disney or SpongeBob Squarepants themed nursery, hating those blinky sneakers that light up when you walk (I just don't *get* that!), swearing that I will never take my child/ren to Disney World (or D-Land).... The list goes on and on, of course.