I, like many people, have a love/hate relationship with Crocs. Yes, the shoes. The resin anti-bacterial light-weight shoe. I love the name: a clever but simple combination of crocodile and clogs. They are cute, in my opinion, only if the wearer is under 5 feet tall AND under 10 years old. The brighter the color, the better. My friend's almost-3 year old daughter has a lavendar pair. Kee-yooot!
Boo loves 'em because his feet are always hot - even in the winter - and the Crocs are easy to slip on and off. So we went dashing to the outlet mall, where they are 5 bucks cheaper, to get him a "school" pair. Remember when school shoes were like, brown and tied up or buckled?? Anyway, it was obvious that school had started because the store was wiped out! I asked what they had
in his size. I was told they had nothing for boys, that they only had GIRL COLORS. When I asked what these GIRL COLORS were, the clerk looked on a handy-dandy cheat-sheet and told me, "Light green, pale yellow... "
STOP RIGHT THERE. What is this?? Is this like, the United States? or some rigid conservative state?? OK, I admit I'm getting carried away. Are we really so paranoid? Are we afraid this will affect their s.exuality?? or is there something else I don't understand? This past summer, I overheard a mom telling - uh - let's say berating - her 6 year old son. He apparently had picked up and was playing with someone's pink pool toy. She mercilessly teased him saying, "Ewww, PINK! Are you a girrrrl?? Maybe I should buy you a pink backpack! and a pink notebook!" And on the painful tirade went. I know this boy is 6 because I know his apparently reasonable mom. OK, I would quietly discourage Boo from wearing pink or lavendar shoes. You know, for his sake.
While I strongly believe in the distinction of the 2 genders, I think it's more subtle and serious than these silly classifications. I don't know who decided green and yellow were girl colors. Did you know that up until the 1940's, pink used to be the boy color? The teasing/tirade that I witnessed at the pool helps instill in boys that femininity and things or activities associated with females is cause for derision. And we don't need more of that. For the sake of females and males.
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Boo loves 'em because his feet are always hot - even in the winter - and the Crocs are easy to slip on and off. So we went dashing to the outlet mall, where they are 5 bucks cheaper, to get him a "school" pair. Remember when school shoes were like, brown and tied up or buckled?? Anyway, it was obvious that school had started because the store was wiped out! I asked what they had
in his size. I was told they had nothing for boys, that they only had GIRL COLORS. When I asked what these GIRL COLORS were, the clerk looked on a handy-dandy cheat-sheet and told me, "Light green, pale yellow... "STOP RIGHT THERE. What is this?? Is this like, the United States? or some rigid conservative state?? OK, I admit I'm getting carried away. Are we really so paranoid? Are we afraid this will affect their s.exuality?? or is there something else I don't understand? This past summer, I overheard a mom telling - uh - let's say berating - her 6 year old son. He apparently had picked up and was playing with someone's pink pool toy. She mercilessly teased him saying, "Ewww, PINK! Are you a girrrrl?? Maybe I should buy you a pink backpack! and a pink notebook!" And on the painful tirade went. I know this boy is 6 because I know his apparently reasonable mom. OK, I would quietly discourage Boo from wearing pink or lavendar shoes. You know, for his sake.
While I strongly believe in the distinction of the 2 genders, I think it's more subtle and serious than these silly classifications. I don't know who decided green and yellow were girl colors. Did you know that up until the 1940's, pink used to be the boy color? The teasing/tirade that I witnessed at the pool helps instill in boys that femininity and things or activities associated with females is cause for derision. And we don't need more of that. For the sake of females and males.
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