Okay, here’s the rub: Mama’s twin cousins gave mama lots of little cosmetics for Christmas when mama was 10. In an old cigar box because they had little money. And mama remembers that gift with great joy.
And mama thought, oh, my little granddaughter would love that, too, since she is now 10, and so mama put together cosmetics in little sack she had gotten as a gift bag in a department store and it reads Life is Beautiful. And in it is an assortment of pale nail polish, pink and gold, lip gloss, pale pink, an emery board and a tiny little mirror and then some other odds and ends from mama’s stash of freebies from cosmetics counters, and mama is going to give it to the little grandanthro on the night of the vigilia, as Christmas Eve is called here in Italy.
So then mama’s stepdaughter stopped by to visit and she has a friend who is involved in gender studies and she was full of fascinating information, not the least of which is that toy stores have begun going back to the old pink and blue division for girls and boys! The parents, evidently, want girly things for girls and boy toys for boys and so on, but what a change! I even thought one year I would be like the very open-minded parents who gave their boy a doll and their little girl a truck and when the kids opened the presents, the little girl started rocking her truck and the little boy took the dolly to the floor and pushed it around saying vroom vroom! There you go.
But mama does not wish to be sexist. She spoke with the mama and the mama said, oh, yes, give her that, she’ll love it. So mama is going ahead and we’ll all watch and see what happens.
Besides, the little darling is also getting the most WONDERFUL large insects, made by a Chinese man who sells them on the street here. They are beautiful and you certainly wouldn’t want to rock them. They look a bit like this one, which is made by a professional bamboo insect artist. Not a sexist gift at all.
I’m not sure her brother would have wanted the cosmetic bag and I’m SURE his sister would NOT want the soccer shoes and Nike hoody! But it will be fun to watch what happens.
What do you think? Is mama being sexist? She LOVED her cosmetic bag at 10 and really thought her little grandanthro would be tickled.
Of course, I need no cosmetic bag since my make-up is totally natural…I mean, who needs anything other than a nice pink nose? Wait a minute. Shouldn’t boy kitties have BLUE noses?
We think toys and other stuff for kids shouldn’t be genderized. She will get interested in make-up when she’s ready or try it on her brother, MOL ! Purrs
Hear hear.
Go far enough back ans boy babies were dressed in pink and girl babies in blue. Of course, go further back and they all wore animal skins and diapers were pads of moss.
The kiddos should settle on what they like. The difference now in thinking is not to push them in a direction they don’t want to go. Sorts like herding cats !
Yes, all true, and there were times that yellow was the only SAFE color for babies if you didn’t know what was coming out!!! Mama doesn’t push any kid on anything except to be polite and think of others. She will open the beauty kit and do with it what she will. Maybe give it to her brother, haha.
OMC By all means give her the make up. She’ll be thrilled and no you’re not bein’ sexist at all. Mommy was quite the tomboy when she was young, but always luv gettin’ girly stuffs fur birthdays and Christmas. She had an awnty that would always send her somethin’ from avon. A perfume, earrings, dainty necklace lippies and such. She luvved them and still climbed the trees the next day. Girls should be treated to girly stuffs and boys to boy stuffs. God created Adam and Eve as male and female. There’s nuffin’ sexist ’bout it. It’s genetics. Big hugs
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena
YES, mama was like you. Or like ME, haha. Climbing trees and playing with the boys because THEY had more fun.
But she still loved her doll house and Tiny Tears….uh, oh, that dates mama…
Thank yoiu for your view.
I purr-sonally think color is color and it shouldn’t be genderized. Humans should look to us pussycats to help them understand that a bit better. For example, kitties can have pink tongues and noses whether boys or girls. And boy kitties can come in all white with pale green eyes just as well as girl kitties can. And so on and so forth. Humans try to complicate things all too often. Winks.
Oh, I am in complete agreement. When mama was a tiny, she thought all dogs were boys and all cats were girls….oy, vay.