Posted by rosanne on Oct 15, 2009 in
Challenges,
Educational Every single day, someone mistakes my daughter for a boy. Why? In part, because “boy” is the default category. In part, because she isn’t dressed in pink, doesn’t have pierced ears and is not sporting one of those lacy bands around her forehead (ugh). It happened again this week, at the pool, because she was wearing a lime green swimsuit that (shock, horror) only covered her bottom. All the other girls were in pink, either one-pieces or two-piece bikinis (for 8-month-old babies!!). It’s just part of a bigger story about gender, stereotypes, Caster Semenya and why she matters, girls’ toys and boys’ toys, and why it’s a big, big mess waiting to happen. Read more…
Tags: clothing, gender, gender difference, lise eliot, nurtureshock, respecting the child, sex differences, stay-at-home-dad, working mother
Posted by rosanne on Sep 13, 2009 in
Challenges,
Sustainable Parenting Apparently, up to a third of Australians think women shouldn’t breastfeed in public. I think what’s more worrying about that study is how many people think babies should be weaned at six months and that it’s the 18–24 year olds who are the most ignorant. I have a sneaking suspicion that my daughter is growing up in a more conservative, gendered world than I did, and it scares me. Read more…
Tags: attachment parenting, breastfeeding, clothing, gender, infant, nudity, socialisation
Babies grow so fast, they’re barely in any one item of clothing for more than three months. I shudder to think how many items of clothing one child goes through in a lifetime, but I’ll hazard a guess they’re a huge contributor to the growing piles of landfill that pollute the world. As a greenie, I try to limit unnecessary consumption, but I also want natural fibres and organics… Clothing your baby is hardly unnecessary, so it’s become one of the most angst-filled issues of my life. Read more…
Tags: clothing, consumption, environment, natural fibres, organic