@MRDCle, I know! That's my biggest complaint too I think. Why on earth are girls and boys toddler shirts different cuts?! Their bodies are exactly the same at this age (other than obviously some kids are bigger/smaller at different ages). Girls shirts are longer and tighter, even if they don't have any frills or ruffles. Wth?!
My son wanted to buy the girls Paw Patrol underwear when he was picking out underwear while potty training. I had to get him the blue version instead of the pink/purple that he wanted because the girls were "bikini," cut and DH would've thrown a fit. My kid's favorite color is purple. Why can't they just make any color shirts for both genders?
@kangstadt have you ever looked at Primary? A little pricey for basics but if you want a purple shirt, they've got purple. And basically every other color.
@kangstadt and @MRDCle omg we have the same clothes problem in our house! My son looooves rainbows and pink and tiedye and doc mcstuffins. Poor kid also asks for dresses. I find my principals running up against practicalities. I want to let him have a dress if he wants one. But I don’t want him to face the comments and questions that would surely come.
@professormamathe left was from sportkilt.com and the second one on the right was from a custom kilt shop in our city (which is apparently a thing). But the second one we went all out so he could match my dad and brother for my wedding.
Sorry I don’t want to take the time to tag everyone so I’ll just share my thoughts
Clothing, I definite dislike the fitted “girls” shirts for DD. They’re not flattering and she’s always uncomfortable in them. Footed pants never worked for my kiddos. They were always too short for them and bigger sizes would fall off. I am a big fan of one piece (rompers) outfits for the first year of life. So much easier especially when your children are a different size top vs bottom size.
Showers. Showers don’t bother me but I hate when people don’t buy off the registry. I specifically picked out gender neutral baby items because I knew I was having more then one child. But I just got ugly pink clothes and pink items that weren’t on my registry. I do greatly appreciate any home made gifts like blankets, burp clothes(homemade are the best!) etc...
Sunscreen. My kids have albinism so the doctor told me to apply sunscreen. With DD we didn’t have a diagnosis until she was 3. But due to her fair complexion our pediatrician said to apply when we were in the pool or going to be outside for a long period of time. (This was at 6 weeks) This basically meant I put some on her arms and legs when in the carrier(she always had a hat on). I agree the benefits of sunscreen outweigh the risks especially if you research the ingredients and use one without all the added chemicals.
UO I like bows, more specifically headbands. I just love cute headbands on girls. As long as they’re not so tight that they leave a mark on their head. Yes I know it’s a gender stereotype but I don’t care. My daughter didn’t have any hair until she was 2, and if she didn’t have a headband on so many people assumed she was a boy.
So this morning I was talking to MIL about babies and we discussed boys v girls and she said, “With all the men bashing nowadays in the media it’s a lot harder to raise boys with good self esteem. I know children’s literature is more geared towards boys and that’s starting to shift which is good, but when you watch TV and movies everything is just so negative about men. It’s much easier to raise girls’ self esteem.”
I told her I don’t see men bashing in the media, I see ABUSIVE men bashing, which is deserved. And there’s still way more role models for men than women.
Hello! I have been lurking for a while now, due 4/7, and am deciding to finally jump in..
It sounds like my UO is that all of the gender stereotyping is starting a little bit early. This early in life, it's the parents picking what they like.. just like when you pick out a theme for your newborns room.. its what YOU like, not the baby. I just don't understand why this is already playing such a huge part in a newborn/toddlers life.
My babe is gonna wear whatever I like and whatever my taste is until they get an opinion of their own, then they can start to express themselves however they may choose. Until then, sorry kid!
I don't believe in spending a ton of money to decorate a nursery and never had a "theme" for any of them. We have a crib, dresser (repurposed) and couch in ds room but other than that it looks just the way it did when it was a spare bedroom. We let our older kids decorate their rooms their way once they know what they like. I figure its upstairs, most people don't see it anyway!
On the topic of spf for kids...Did y’all know that 80% of sun damage happens before you’re 18 and that clothing only offers an spf of 5. There is a detergent pack that’s safe to throw in with your tide or whatever and lasts up to 30 washes or something like that. It provides an additional spf of 30 to clothing and is safe for the kiddos. I think it’s called sunguard or similar to that. I buy it off amazon and wash my daughters clothes in it.
@harveyisaboysname Mind blown!! I'm super curious how that works... But also exhausted, I'll have to research it another day if so remember with pregnancy brain!!
@harveyisaboysname yes I have the sunguard to wash the clothes in! Our dermatologist recommended it. Im not sure how well it works because my kiddos always have sunscreen on and I’ve spent a small fortune on SPF clothing and hats.
I suppose my UO is that I loveee shopping for baby clothes and decorating the nursery... I love shopping at small shops/Etsy and I love headbands and tiny shoes! I played with dolls until I was like 12... I feel like dressing my kids and decorating their rooms are a creative outlet and it’s simply fun for me. I also love shopping for myself so you best believe I will be buying more maternity clothes— even though I don’t technically need them.
@jmesue1030, yes to the maternity wear! this is (god willing) my last pregnancy and I am most definitely going to be comfy & cute. where are your go-to maternity stores? I already need to buy a bigger bra. I'm thinking about splurging on thirdlove's nursing bra...
@tumblefluff, glad I'm not the only one! We had a 3D ultrasound done with DS, and I had a panic attack after it that my baby was gonna be completely ugly and I wasn't gonna fall in love with him immediately :P. Totally crazy and irrational, but that's where my pregnant mind went. He came out looking much cuter than the squashed potato ultrasound pic, haha.
Re: UO 9/6
My son wanted to buy the girls Paw Patrol underwear when he was picking out underwear while potty training. I had to get him the blue version instead of the pink/purple that he wanted because the girls were "bikini," cut and DH would've thrown a fit. My kid's favorite color is purple. Why can't they just make any color shirts for both genders?
ETA link: https://www.primary.com/
an interesting article that was posted recently in my local facebook moms group.
BFP: 8/20/2018 - EDD 5/4/2019
Clothing, I definite dislike the fitted “girls” shirts for DD. They’re not flattering and she’s always uncomfortable in them. Footed pants never worked for my kiddos. They were always too short for them and bigger sizes would fall off. I am a big fan of one piece (rompers) outfits for the first year of life. So much easier especially when your children are a different size top vs bottom size.
Showers. Showers don’t bother me but I hate when people don’t buy off the registry. I specifically picked out gender neutral baby items because I knew I was having more then one child. But I just got ugly pink clothes and pink items that weren’t on my registry. I do greatly appreciate any home made gifts like blankets, burp clothes(homemade are the best!) etc...
Sunscreen. My kids have albinism so the doctor told me to apply sunscreen. With DD we didn’t have a diagnosis until she was 3. But due to her fair complexion our pediatrician said to apply when we were in the pool or going to be outside for a long period of time. (This was at 6 weeks) This basically meant I put some on her arms and legs when in the carrier(she always had a hat on). I agree the benefits of sunscreen outweigh the risks especially if you research the ingredients and use one without all the added chemicals.
UO I like bows, more specifically headbands. I just love cute headbands on girls. As long as they’re not so tight that they leave a mark on their head. Yes I know it’s a gender stereotype but I don’t care. My daughter didn’t have any hair until she was 2, and if she didn’t have a headband on so many people assumed she was a boy.
I told her I don’t see men bashing in the media, I see ABUSIVE men bashing, which is deserved. And there’s still way more role models for men than women.
It sounds like my UO is that all of the gender stereotyping is starting a little bit early. This early in life, it's the parents picking what they like.. just like when you pick out a theme for your newborns room.. its what YOU like, not the baby. I just don't understand why this is already playing such a huge part in a newborn/toddlers life.
My babe is gonna wear whatever I like and whatever my taste is until they get an opinion of their own, then they can start to express themselves however they may choose. Until then, sorry kid!
I just think my fetus' "gender identity" is something we can worry about when he's just a bit older..
My U/O is that I think 3D ultrasounds are freaky looking.