No more "pink princesses" or who says dinosaurs are only for boys?

There are gender differences but the extremes that toy and children's clothes departments now go to give the impression that girls and boys are so different, their career and life opportunities are set out from age 1 week - well it drives me potty.

I'm sure this has given John Lewis free and positive publicity. I've no problem with that if it means their children's departments are less specifically gendered. Let children play, get grubby, dress up as pirates or princesses when they want to but please, stop this drive back to the future in 1953.

When our first child- a boy- was born, I sent my DH out to buy a few clothes. He came back with a blue dress and pink babygro! We used them both on baby who didn't seem to suffer any issues later in relation to gender identity.

The right-wing media, (and Piers Morgan) wanting to cause a fuss, decided this meant putting boys in dresses. But then, what else would you expect from them

"Put them ON dresses AND trousers ..." sorry, ctrl-entered without checking!

Why do John Lewis need to make a big deal about this? If they'd just changed to "Children's clothes", would anyone have noticed I wonder. That's how I think it should be - dinosaurs, tractors etc on dresses/t-shirts/trousers. Likewise with flowers, pink stuff, glitter - put them dresses AND trousers, then there's not a problem.
Smacks of publicity and advertising benefits for John Lewis maybe.

I think there was far less gender differentiation in clothing when ours were little ( my oldest (DD1) is now 31). Far less frothy pink and princess stuff then and l for one was glad to buy neutral items that could be passed on. My mum knitted lots of jumpers and cardigans in primary colours and both my DDs wore dungarees. The girls had best dresses and the boys had waistcoats and bow ties for special occasions. We bought my eldest DD a garage and a 'work bench' shape sorter for her 1st birthday. She wanted dolls and buggies when faced with early choices- and my son's loved cars and bricks! DD is a very 'feminine' woman who is known to love dresses now.

Many years ago at my DD1's primary school they awarded prizes to the girl and boy with the best attendance. DD was the girl with the highest attendance and was called up first to take her prize. A doll and a football sat on the table. Guess which one she picked!

I used to dress my daughter in pink quite a lot. Never frilly stuff though
She doesn't seem particularly messed up by it.

My children when small lived in dungarees and the occasional dress if the occasion demanded for my DD. She certainly wasn't a 'pink' person and DS wasn't a particularly 'blue' person. That said GDs have become more girlie as they've got older and the boys are certainly boys. It's just happened that way. That said I do not like blue and pink shelves in toy shops - which I'm afraid to say still exist! Even Father Christmas used to hand out 'girls' presents and 'boys' presents - hopefully that has now changed!!1

In case you missed it

SPORTY ,dont know whats going on with my laptop ,keeps losing letters even after I've checked and its all there

doesn't matter what you dress them in they'll decide for themselves as soon as they can talk ..or before .my friend instructed everyone NO pink,flouncy,or frilly stuff for her expected baby girl 20 years ago.We all duly sourced things in clours and materials she wanted ...fast forward 2 years and that baby dressed in the girliest things imaginable...her choice.She's sporty ,,highly intelligent and she still wears loads of pink and frills.Why shoulldn't she? My D was dressed in all things girly ,she refused to wear jeans from a very young age...she works in motorsport ..amongst her many jobs.Frilly knickers didn't affect her brain at all !

Really interesting programme on the to about gender, and how we do stereotype babies without even realising.

Yup, lets hope other companies follow suit!

Yes, I think it's brilliant news.

Don't go around saying "Hello little boy/girl" much, prefer to greet the mum, but it does highlight how differently people react to boy and girl babies.
Why? "Isn't SHE pretty?""What a CHEEKY chappie?"
Or whatever.
A pretty baby can equally be a boy or a girl.
Let's ditch the stereotypes in children's clothing, we didn't neeed them in our day, so why now?

You see a baby in a pram dressed in a pink coverall" Hello little Girl", you say. You then see another baby dressed in a blue coverall "Hello little boy", you say.

Do you remember when life was simply

I do loathe the sea of pink and blue which can be seen from a dustance in our shops. My 4 year old gs has known for half his life which is his colour, and whatever i say to my gd she will always prefer pink. They have worked this out themselves not because we have told them. The opposite in fact but their views are entrenched.
You dont see this in other european countries, why here?
When we were buying clothes fir our children, or rather making them, as clothes were so expensive then, primary colours were evident and both sexes wore all colours. Same thing with bikes, now they are pink or blue which means objections if bikes are passed onto younger siblings.
Marketing opportunity? Definitely.