Why It’s Important To Choose Gender Neutral Clothing & Accessories For Babies

We’re surrounded by messages everywhere we go, so, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock the last few decades, you will know that gender stereotyping starts from the moment our babies are born.  From choosing a pink or blue romper for your baby when leaving hospital to the pink or blue balloons & cards to celebrate the arrival of your little one. If you’ve bought anything from a baby store, you’ll have noticed how most have a clear gender divide and depending on the sex of the baby you’re buying for, you’ll know which side is meant for you.  So why, in 2020, is this still the norm.  In a progressive society why do we still hanker to dress our boys in blue and our girls in pink?

According to recent studies, our children can identify gender by the time they are 2 years old and by the time they are 3 years old they have clear ideas about gender roles, language & behaviour.  Despite this we continue to bombard our children with gender specific messages that will have a long-lasting effect. Most gender stereotypes are so ingrained in our minds that it takes some thought, a change in mindset and careful choice of words to challenge these old-fashioned ways.  We have to learn to talk to our children without imposing gender stereotypes onto them.  One of the easiest things we can all do is choose to buy gender neutral clothing, accessories and toys from the beginning.  This doesn’t mean no more pink or blue clothing, it means putting no boundary on who can wear these colours. Creating a more level playing field for both sexes when they are so young allows them to feel they can achieve the same as each other as they grow.  It creates a positive mindset and a genuine respect for each other.  So let’s refrain from imposing our own inherited gender assumptions onto our young. Isn’t that the world we want for our children?

For our selection of gender neutral clothing and accessories : https://www.oojibaby.co.uk/baby-shop