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Gender stereotypes can be harmful, particularly when it comes to children’s clothing.
This was the case for one new mother, who faced criticism from her mother-in-law over her decision to dress her baby boy in “girly” clothes. Despite insisting that the baby was a boy, the mother-in-law spread false rumors about the baby’s gender. This led to many of the baby shower gifts being heavily gendered towards pink and embroidered with grandma’s name, despite the mother and father’s wishes. When the baby was born, the mother-in-law was proven wrong. The new mother refused to change her son’s wardrobe and instead delighted in dressing him up in the gifted clothes. But MIL continued to criticize the new parents for dressing their son in “girly” clothes. While this may seem like a small issue, it highlights the importance of breaking free from gender norms and allowing children to express themselves in whatever way feels comfortable. Scroll down for the complete story.
The title of the article states:
OP gave birth to her first baby in November last year which is the first in her family and the sixth in her husband’s family, and her mother-in-law is obsessed with having a baby girl.
OP’s mother-in-law convinced herself that she was pregnant with a girl and even after they told her it was a boy, she told the whole family that they were having a girl:
OP noticed that many baby shower gifts were not in the registry, including embroidered items with grandma’s name, despite them making the gender and name clear and denying the false rumors spread by mother-in-law, who everyone believed instead.
OP’s baby was born a boy, and now they are enjoying dressing him in the “girly” clothes that were gifted to him, particularly during family video calls and pictures to make a point.
OP’s mother-in-law called to complain about them not sticking to a masculine color scheme for the baby clothes but they refused to change the clothes and told her to wait until the dresses fit.
Gender stereotypes can have a profound effect on children from a young age. When parents and caregivers insist on rigid gender norms, they limit a child’s ability to express themselves and explore their own identity. This mother’s refusal to bow to these expectations and instead dress her son in whatever clothes she saw fit, is a small step towards breaking down these barriers.
Why did OP’s one side of the family didn’t believe her?
OP’s MIL was trying to create her ideal world:
OP’s MIL acted on baseless assumptions about OP’s baby:
TLDR:
It doesn’t matter what color the baby wears:
By recognizing that clothing is just one aspect of how we express our identity, we can begin to create a more inclusive and accepting world for our children. What do you think about this story? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the issue.
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