It was at this point that I decided - stop fighting it. Let her have it. She doesn't get excited about the beautiful vintage toys and dolls I find in their beautiful (in her eyes drab) neutral outfits and lovely muted tones... so let her go crazy for this- why deprive her? Its not my birthday let her have what she really wants. I can teach her all my feminist ideals about beauty and women and all that other stuff as she gets older- she will get it - I did. I loved all that stuff and here I am as strong feminist independant woman and its fine. She has so many great role models around her.
Another like minded friend said to me "I thought I would just go into the toy section and find the vilest most pink sparkely, tastless peice of plastic that we would both hate and buy that for her??"
"Perfect!!" was my amused reply.
Obviously I will draw the line somewhere ( like there will be no My little pony lunchboxes, tshirts etc - no merchandising- just the toy) but the horse and carriage with fairy ponies (???????!!!!!!!!) arrived from Chefs parents, Busy was so excited- then our friend got her the other three- see the orange one - apparently " this one looks like mummy (!!!???!!!) because it has forward hair" ( a fringe). So at the moment we are enjoying it- brushing their hair and what not.
She still plays with her cars and trucks but for now, in the words of some great seattle musos, who were way cooler than Nirvana, I am going to Let It Slide.
Addition: I sent Kerry some pictures of Busy with her fairy door and now she is the fairy door model!!!
Have you got yours yet?
OMG! You do look like the orange one with forward hair!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am thinking about a fringe, do you think I could borrow one to take to my hairdresser to show what style I am after???? ! ;-)
ReplyDeleteADORABLE!
Ah, I think you've hit the nail on the head with the sentiment that perhaps she likes it BECAUSE you don't.
ReplyDeletePunk already has a couple of these sparkly pony type deals, and as a child of the 80s, I don't mind at all. She also has lots of 'merchandising', in the form of everything you could ever wish for with Yo Gabba Gabba characters all over them, but what I will not buy her, and despise, is anything to do with shiny plastic jewellery, princess things, fairy choss... *shiver*
BUT.
When these things arrive in the form of birthday or christmas presents, as they do, Punky LOVES THEM. I really think it is because it's something she doesn't usually have so it's facinating. Thankfully, the facination is short-lived, that sort of tat is easily lost & broken by a toddler!
I think you're on a winner with your approach. After all the toys are for her to play with and it is her time to practice expressing herself.
ReplyDeleteI am totally with you about toy only no merchandising - there has to be a line!
Ha ha ha ha ha . . . we've had the assult of My Little Ponies, times 3 girls so good luck, they breed!! Love Posie
ReplyDeleteWe've just been shoe shopping and my 3.5 year old chose the most sparkly, strappy inappropriate shoe but in the end we reached a compromise of pink with flowers and a bit of sparkle and covered in toes. I hate pink but am trying to embrace my daughters love of all things tacky and girly and know that she'll grow out of it in time!!
ReplyDeleteJust wanting to let you know that there are plenty of other mum's out there trying to live through the "pink phase" too!
ohh, this is the difficult part of parenthood isn't it!
ReplyDeletewhat do you do when it comes in present form, that's the thing. I can't stand merchandise things, toy, clothes, whatever, but what to do when it's given to them.
it's like food Cath, as long as you eat healthily 90% of the time then that 10% shouldn't be such a great influence.
saying that, they go to school & the are influenced by lots of things which is what we will deal with in a year or 2.
goodluck with it & don't stop being the fabulous mum that you are
♥
hey cath! thanks for that lovely message :) i get the whole pink/merchandising dilema thing totally... all my friends have their 3 and 4 yo daughters enrolled indancing - and it's totally not the road i want to go down, or barbie dolls or brats etc etc... but we do have a pony as well - sometimes you just gotta choose your battles hey! love your blog too btw,
ReplyDeletex donna <3
Hello your daughter is on to something here. My little pony is highly collectable and early ones date now to the eighties which may be only be a short memory for us but is actually the new hip decade for collectors of all things vintage. So maybe she is subconciously a vintage girl after all. cheers Katherine
ReplyDeleteThis too shall pass.
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