Seewalds 28: Marketing Kids as Deflection

[Satan'sFortress]

I loved my little Fortress boys in denim overalls. 

Henry looked so perfectly pudgy (in a lovely baby way) in his.  That is one of my favorite ages.

[sta_sha]

14 hours ago, FleeJanaFree said:

I can't stand the crotch snaps for jeans/overalls.

In my just over three weeks as a parent, the only thing I can say for sure is that I hope that the person who decided that any baby clothes should have snaps is in a special place in hell. Those things are impossible at 2AM. Can't imagine trying to do them up on a wiggling toddler...

Zippers FTW!

[VelociRapture]

2 hours ago, sta_sha said:

In my just over three weeks as a parent, the only thing I can say for sure is that I hope that the person who decided that any baby clothes should have snaps is in a special place in hell. Those things are impossible at 2AM. Can't imagine trying to do them up on a wiggling toddler...

Zippers FTW!

Yes!!!! I loved the zipper footie pajamas when Velocibaby was a newborn. That was pretty much all she wore the first few weeks and even now I try to avoid buying her stuff with more than the three snaps that seem standard on onesies. 

Hope you guys are doing well! The first six weeks are some of the best and toughest. Hang in there!

[Karma]

Babies slept in nighties when mine were newborn.  Much easier!

[HarryPotterFan]

On 12/14/2017 at 7:40 PM, snickers34 said:

LOL! The City of Springdale came up in recent conversations, and I had to hold back talking about the lawsuits so people didn't think I was a weirdo.

I'm so ashamed of myself if I bring the Duggars into casual conversation if someone is talking about cults, large families, etc.

[Iamtheway]

On 2017-12-15 at 12:12 AM, zenbaby said:

Nice!  The chapel was designed by Fay Jones, and he designed the Mildred B Cooper chapel in Bella Vista about an hour away, equally beautiful.  Visit it if you can.

Wow! That is stunning! I may not be religious but I have always liked churches. I wish I could get married here. Mayby for my next marriage. 

[Rachel333]

On 12/14/2017 at 7:40 PM, snickers34 said:

LOL! The City of Springdale came up in recent conversations, and I had to hold back talking about the lawsuits so people didn't think I was a weirdo.

Ha, why was the City of Springdale coming up in conversation? 

[Cleopatra7]

8 hours ago, sta_sha said:

In my just over three weeks as a parent, the only thing I can say for sure is that I hope that the person who decided that any baby clothes should have snaps is in a special place in hell. Those things are impossible at 2AM. Can't imagine trying to do them up on a wiggling toddler...

Zippers FTW!

This is why I don’t understand why the practice of having all babies and toddlers wear dresses went out of style. Having baby clothes that involves snaps and such just seems like extra and unnecessary work.

[ViolaSebastian]

I'll add that the person that thought "skinny jeans will look great on babies and toddlers!" also belongs in at least the sixth circle. 

[SapphireSlytherin]

GryffindorDisapointment slept in drawstring nightgowns. SO easy. The footie/zip pajamas made her feet stink like a teenage boy's. blergggggg

Then they got rid of the drawstrings and replaced them with elastic (many years after she survived being put in the deadly things).

 

https://www.target.com/p/luvable-friends-baby-girls-3pk-cotton-nightgown-set-pink-0-6m/-/A-52777566?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9022871&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgoKMw-qP2AIV1YuzCh2cuQZbEAQYASABEgK2uvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[SilverBeach]

I loved oshkosh b'gosh overall sets when DD was a toddler back in the day. There was an outlet store I would get them from at a good price, and they were popular at resale. I will say my child was sharp, her dad got her shoes to coordinate with her outfits. I looked a mess sometimes, barely had time to shower, but DD was well dressed.

When she was a baby, I was fond of zippered, footed one-piece sleepers. And onesies.

I miss those days.

 

[cascarones]

My niece was a squirmer/ hated being changed. She wore lots of different things and there was only one strict rule from her mom. There had to be a headband or bow in her hair if she’s out in public, still a rule even though she’s four now, but as an infant she loathed them. I’m still convinced her motor skills developed early so she could rip them off. 

[nastyhobbitses]

38 minutes ago, cascarones said:

My niece was a squirmer/ hated being changed. She wore lots of different things and there was only one strict rule from her mom. There had to be a headband or bow in her hair if she’s out in public, still a rule even though she’s four now, but as an infant she loathed them. I’m still convinced her motor skills developed early so she could rip them off. 

I just don't get the need for a bow or headband. It's a baby! Why does their gender need to be broadcast to the world? Who the hell cares? It's cute sometimes, sure, but every time the baby goes out in public is ridiculous. 

[SapphireSlytherin]

Probably the bow/headband thing is in response to random people ASSuming the kid's a boy, especially if she doesn't have much hair. GryffindorDisappointment had no hair ... she was ALWAYS called "he/him" by perfect strangers. So. Bows & headbands and pink frilly shit ALL.THE.TIME.

[singsingsing]

1 hour ago, SapphireSlytherin said:

Probably the bow/headband thing is in response to random people ASSuming the kid's a boy, especially if she doesn't have much hair. GryffindorDisappointment had no hair ... she was ALWAYS called "he/him" by perfect strangers. So. Bows & headbands and pink frilly shit ALL.THE.TIME.

Who cares if random people "ASSume" the kid's a boy, though, especially at that age? What possible difference could it make?

[SorenaJ]

6 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

Who cares if random people "ASSume" the kid's a boy, though, especially at that age? What possible difference could it make?

Seconded. So what if people assumed it is a boy? I mean, who cares? 

Don't put something on your baby that it doesn't like having on, just for the sake of it. 

[Four is Enough]

Now that Henry's getting hair, I think it's going to be curly like Spurge's, too.

[SapphireSlytherin]

Who cares? I cared! Obviously! lol

 

 

[Carm_88]

55 minutes ago, singsingsing said:

Who cares if random people "ASSume" the kid's a boy, though, especially at that age? What possible difference could it make?

People called me a boy for many years. My parents put me in dresses and then I looked like a little boy in dresses. Which of course, probably led to a completely different type of conversation.  

[Gillyweed]

My cousin always dresses her daughter in tutus and giant bows. She doesn't do it to be like "MY CHILD IS A GIRL!", she does it because she thinks it's cute.  

[SorenaJ]

I read about a mum who loved hair bows on babies, and was sad that she got a boy so she couldn't use them. What even? Just put it in the hair, damn it. It won't fly off, promise. 

[SapphireSlytherin]

Further (because I can't edit now):  My mother kept my hair boy-short until I was 12. For whatever reason her non-maternal brain came up with.

I was always called a boy, called "he" or "him." I hated it, and I vowed my daughter would not have to put up with that shit.

[singsingsing]

Forcing your 12-year-old daughter to look like a boy when she doesn't want to is cruel. Forcing your one-year-old daughter to wear things that make her physically uncomfortable to prevent complete strangers from assuming she's a boy is weird. I think as a parent I would much rather 'deal' with random ladies at the supermarket assuming my daughter was a boy than deal with a physically uncomfortable and upset one-year-old tearing bows out of her hair.

[apandaaries]

I took a women's studies course in college and discovered that most people compliment baby girls about their looks, whereas baby boys get compliments about their strength or intelligence (overall - of course variations exist).  In fact, in one study where the researchers wanted to see what would happen in a gender-blind situation, they asked parents to bring their babies in blue pants and a white shirt...but all the girls' clothes were still obviously gendered with frilly bows or other bullshit. 

I wanted my daughter to see what life was like without having her appearance dominate the conversation.  Invites to my baby shower warned people that both mother and baby were allergic to pink. We did get some pink hand-me-downs (she wore all kinds of things), but also got a lot of clothing that was more ambiguous.  She wore stuff with trucks and dinos and whatnot, and never even grew a penis!  Miraculous.  I wanted people to just see a baby, and not have to attach gender norms and expectations to her immediately.  Of course people still asked, but I really despise how focused people are on shaping sharp gender roles so early on in life. 

[HarryPotterFan]

16 minutes ago, amandaaries said:

I took a women's studies course in college and discovered that most people compliment baby girls about their looks, whereas baby boys get compliments about their strength or intelligence (overall - of course variations exist).  In fact, in one study where the researchers wanted to see what would happen in a gender-blind situation, they asked parents to bring their babies in blue pants and a white shirt...but all the girls' clothes were still obviously gendered with frilly bows or other bullshit. 

I wanted my daughter to see what life was like without having her appearance dominate the conversation.  Invites to my baby shower warned people that both mother and baby were allergic to pink. We did get some pink hand-me-downs (she wore all kinds of things), but also got a lot of clothing that was more ambiguous.  She wore stuff with trucks and dinos and whatnot, and never even grew a penis!  Miraculous.  I wanted people to just see a baby, and not have to attach gender norms and expectations to her immediately.  Of course people still asked, but I really despise how focused people are on shaping sharp gender roles so early on in life. 

That reminds me of an experiment where babies were dressed in stereotypically gendered clothes (a boy in a dress, a girl in pants and a blue shirt), and experimenters filmed how a volunteer who didn't know the baby's sex would interact with him/her and what toys they'd encourage the baby to play with: