Pink is for girls and blue is for boys .

Who first said this?

Where it started from?

However we were never raised with this tagline, neither our parents followed.

With time, it has become the best marketing strategy of kids’ products companies that advertise their products by attaching with colors and genders ONLY to boost their sales. And it has worked!! And the so-called modern, well-educated, brand-conscious parents are responsible for the huge turnover of these companies, who are simply playing with our future.

“Anyone else there, who also sees it as just another marketing gimmick that has changed the mind-sets gradually?”

Well, my boy has always loved colors and he has worn all the colors available in the market and gets to choose colors of his toys, bags and bottles.

In one of our trips to grand-parents’ house, my boy was given a kitchen set by a very old nice lady, who only saw him as a child and not a boy or girl. However, while my kid loved cooking for the family with his new toy, I got feedback from “younger generation” that ONLY girls play with kitchen sets and not boys.. AGHAST! See the difference in thinking of generations.

Read How to Raise Kind Kids

My parents have raised both me and my brother as equals, we both got chance to choose carriers, post-graduation streams, jobs etc. My mother has taught us both to cook basic food to survive, at the least. Though neither of us is much into chores, but learnt to manage during hostel days.

Well! My toddler still loves to play cooking and helps in cooking and serving too now. He helps in chores, cleaning, drying laundry, knows that he needs to put dishes in sink after finishing meals, needs to put his shoes and bag on proper place, etc.

“Child’s mind becomes what we feed it with.”

A child is never born with pre-assumptions. It’s always WE, the society and adults around, who feed their brains with pre-conceived notions of gender-differences, biases, discriminations etc. For a child, a doll is as good as a car. My boy loves to cook, play with construction toys, police games, playing music, dancing, cycling, crafting, drawing etc… just like ANY BABY would.

 

Image Source: Google

And he likes pink color a lot like any other .. for which even tiny kids have ridiculed him saying – “why are you wearing girl’s color? Only girls wear pink.’

I mean that’s how is the impact of marketing; and parents responds to these work on young minds in a way that they also start association genders with colors ONLY!!

Image Source: Google

It irritates me to see the Gender Reveal pics in only Pink or Blue colors or themed birthday parties associated with colors that will define the gender of the birthday baby. 

Read Why Kids need more than just Encouragement

Just a Google search and you will realize there are millions of similar pics binding our kids with colors.

Image Source: Google

My heart aches to hear when parents say- OH it was Blue day in school, my girl likes only pink, so we didn’t have any blue dress. WHAATT!!!!!!

Why tell her only pink is good? Why every toy for girls is ONLY PINK??

I believe it’s the parents who buy pink toys and dresses for girls falling for excellently devised marketing strategies. I am sure all girls are like other children who love colors in general.

Image Source: Google

Google search girls playing with toys images and 80% of images will be showing pink. On Youtube you will find kids’ shows where girls are always dressing up in pink.

Read How to educate kids about Privacy

There is a plethora of such shows showing girls playing with pink toys in pink room wearing pink dress. And most of the accessories labeled “for girls” will be pink in color.

Image Source: Google

Why deprive a girl from colors? Why make her life monotonous with only pink and red?

Why not make every child’s life a RAINBOW!!

Fill their minds and life with:

  • Knowledge to understand the science and life,
  • Empathy for everyone around rather than just being rude,
  • Love for people, animals, and planet,
  • Strength to face difficulties, failures and criticism,
  • Wisdom to choose the right path and more important the right route to their goals,
  • Courage to face fears, raise voice against and fight the evil,
  • Kindness for self and others!

RAISE A CHILD!! They can become Boy or Girl later!

Love x

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28 thoughts on “Raise A Child, not A Color

  1. true, never impose your thought or chose on kids. My son love red colour in everything he want Red . Where is my daughter love all colour. Never said that blue is for boys and pink is for girls. 7 colour make rainbow thats why it is beautiful.

  2. Your post title made me select this particular post for reading. It’s a very western concept of blue and pink which has grown on us because we like to copy. I don’t think in India people associated any colour with the gender of the baby. While I do agree that there has always been a choice regarding the selection of toys as per the gender but I think more informed parents are changing the narrative. Also, your post is the right way to create a buzz and spread more awareness about it. The more we talk about it, we can bring about a change in the mindset of the society.

    • Just loved reading this…. it’s TRUE that we are aping the western word with the all pink n blue thing…. and yes being a parent we shld 1st. Welcome our child, a boy or a girl with open arms and 2nd. Raise them both equally. I do the same. Both my kids, son n daughter play with doll house n also play with cars… and both of them help me in the kitchen.

  3. Great Great post Kinshoo ji. I totally agree with you. It is we only who first teach these gender discriminating things to kids and then wonder later who taught them all this. If we inculcate this habit that both are same and let them decide their choices it would be far much better for them. Keep writing such thought provoking stuff.

    #MyFriendAlexa #ContemplationOfaJoker #Jokerophilia

  4. When we were small, my younger brother liked to be in the kitchen and help mom. At that time, my grandmother laughed away that boys need not to cook. He refrained at that time but today, he helps mom again and with confidence.

  5. An amazing post. About time we break these stereotypical roles and bifurcation. We should stop pushing colors on children if we want a world with fewer stereotypes, less sexism, and overall less prejudice.

  6. I absolutely believe in gender-biased parenting and this post shares my feelings in the best words possible. We unknowingly associate kids with such bifurcations, though I am happy to see how millennials are changing these color biases clearly these days.

  7. Its the responsibility of parents to give children a wide vision rather than a myopic one. I love your thoughts. I recently read about something called pink shaming, in which women are shamed for liking or embracing feminine things. Society has to let go of its narrow mindedness. Only then can our children grow up to have balanced open minded views

  8. Yes, we have been conditioned to believe many such things created by marketing strategists. We are using some products so naturally as part of our life which were not even in existence like 15 years ago. If grown ups can be brainwashed, it is very much possible to do that same with kids too.

  9. Pink and Blue concept is very western and now it is spreading all over the world. I do not see any point in it except the marketing part. When I was expecting my first kid, and people used to ask me did you find out the gender (I am in the USA) and my answer used to be no, I want to keep it a surprise. Their reasoning used to be, why not? it will be easy for you to select the baby related stuff and decide the decore. I never believed in blue or pink or if my daughter is playing with cars and snow with kitchen set. Everything boils down to giving them a complete environment and nota gender specific options.

  10. Wow loved the post Kinshoo and I agree our society have some preconceived notion and thoughts about being gender bias. Loved the concept of making each child’s life a rainbow. Of course at the end these are the things that matter most in life not the gender.

  11. I agree.. Raise your child with skills which will help them to deal with them world.. Boy or gal coMes later. I think it is to do with the upbringing.. They do what they see. Beautiful Post.

  12. We have also not really stressed on my son wearing boy colours because I have an older daughter and all her pink pyjamas also go to him. He’s still 4. Let’s see how it is when he gets older and meets other boys in life.

  13. very nice post.. I agree this commercial division of blue and pink has got into our lives..but it’s important to raise your child with skills that will be important in years ahead.. your post sums it up all

  14. Completely agree with you. A child’s brain is what we feed them with. Why tag a child with a particular colour. Why conform to the societal norms?
    I am a mom to two toddlers – a bboy. And a girl annd both their wardrobes are filled with all colours. And gender neutral parenting niche isnt just limited to the choice of a color but it expands way beyond that. Its a way of life for parents

  15. Your post reminded me of a similar post I wrote long back. My son loves pink and I always felt it was ok. Colours and gender preferences are merely lame marketing gimmicks.

  16. Trust me, this is a great post and I totally believe in this, colors should not be subjective for any gender in particular!!

  17. This is something I truly believe in . Colour has nothing to do with the gender of a child. I am so glad that our kids are being raised with these values and they will bring about the much needed change.

  18. Awesome post on a touchy topic Kinshoo..Really loved it. Punk and blue is just a media blitzkrieg fed to the masses. After watching Social Dilemma, I have realised how we are being turned into robotic minds when it comes to making choices

  19. Neutral parroting is something I truly believe in glad to know about the feature and how well you have explain the reasons of not raising Biased opinions on the kids

  20. Well said dear. Boy or girls shouldn’t matter. The only thing which matters should be raising a happy and good human being.

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