You can read the story here.
 |
| Baby Storm.... boy? or girl? |
But the email sent recently by Kathy Witterick and David Stocker of Toronto, Canada to announce the birth of their baby, Storm, was missing one important piece of information. "We've decided not to share Storm's sex for now--a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime (a more progressive place? ...)," it said.
There's nothing ambiguous about the baby's genitals. But as Stocker puts it: "If you really want to get to know someone, you don't ask what's between their legs."
Yeah, it's ridiculous. I fully believe in not limiting our children by enforcing gender roles, but I think hiding this baby's gender is extreme. I believe that boys can be in dance, art, theater. Little boys can wear pink, purple, high heels, clip-on earrings, whatever. I encourage Claire to play with trucks, get dirty, wear blue, black, green, throw a football. But a boy is a boy and a girl is a girl, right?
Tonight I made a quick trip to Target to buy groceries for our weekend at the cabin. Max needed a cotton sleepsack, as his fleece one is too warm. I found cotton sleepsacks in blue in size small, but realized it wouldn't fit him much longer. The only one they had in medium was pink with white dots. To be honest, I sat there for a moment considering if I should buy the small one that wouldn't fit him much longer but was in blue or the one that was a more sensible purchase as it would last all summer, but was in a 'girl' color, pink. A moment later, I realized that I was being ridiculous and that Max will look GREAT in the pink sleepsack, so that's what I purchased. As a culture, gender roles and rules (boys wear blue, girls wear pink) are so strongly ingrained in us. I am no exception. But I hope that as my children age and I continue to learn how to be a parent, I won't find myself putting up unnecessary and suppressing gender limitations. With that said, you won't find me concealing my children's gender.
2 comments:
I read the same article and thought how expensive this baby's therapy bill will be just so the parents can prove their own point.
Back in the day men were the ones wearing pink. I almost bought pink Crocs for Brody last weekend until I stumbled on the right size in blue. Brody, Claire and Max can all proudly drive the pink Barbie Jeep at the farm (eventually)! And we all know Brody likes a good headband and blow-dryer to play with plus his baby doll:)
I also read this article a week or so ago and thought, to each their own. But how much work that must be to keep it a secret! What does the child wear? What color is the room? What kind of toys does the child play with? How sad that this mother will not be able to enjoy dressing her daughter in cute frilly clothes or wrap her son in the blue blanket that says "All Star Boy". Granted, those aren't the biggest moments in motherhood/childhood, but why go to all that work? It just seems unnecessary.
Isaiah also wears my headbands and enjoys putting baby dolls to sleep. Campbell, despite growing up with an older brother, has natural motherly instincts. She loves playing mommy even at 18 months. I find it odd because I have never sought out to play that with her, she just does it! It is in our blood as women! But she also loves her brothers trucks, balls, hats, etc. It's all good!
Post a Comment