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Article Enough with the gender stereotype! WHY can’t boys wear cute socks?

By Tracy Hardy
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11 Comments

When Shona Campbell arrived to pick up her three-year-old son from childcare she was outraged to over hear a conversation about her toddlers choice of socks.

The mum was shocked to hear another boy and his mother laughing at her son for wearing socks with love hearts on them.

“To the mother at nursery picking up your child. You may have thought I didn’t hear you but let me assure you I did!” Ms Campbell wrote on Facebook.

“When your child pointed out my SON had love hearts on his socks, and mocked them for being GIRLS socks you absolutely tore apart my faith in this world, because you agreed and laughed along with your child.

“My son is 3 years old, he loves love hearts, he loves the colour pink, he loves to play with dolls and prams. But what he loves more than anything, is having the independence to make his own choices. He chose these socks in the shop, and he chose to wear them today.”

boy socks boys socks 2

“Why should we teach our children that certain things are for girls/boys?? If my son wants to wear a dress, he can!! If he wants to wear a big fluffy hat, he can!! And if he wants to wear socks with love hearts, HE CAN!” she wrote.

“I am bringing up my son to be whoever he wants to be and I do not appreciate people like you poking fun at him, telling him he’s wrong for what he wears or dictating what he should or shouldn’t do/wear.

“This is the perfect age to allow our children to make their own decisions and let them figure out who THEY want to be, not who society says they should be! This is MY SON. And I love him. Love heart socks and all!!

“Feel free to share. I’d really like to make sure she, and anyone else that thinks it’s ok to specify gender in clothes/toys etc, see’s this and hopes narrow mindedness is replaced with open mindedness.”

Her post has been shared over 100,000 times.

Well said, Shona. Well said!

I thought we had put all this gender stereotype nonsense behind us. I teach my boys everyday that girls can do exactly what they do, no restrictions. So why can’t boys do whatever girls do?! Why is there always such a great divide?

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Comments

  • Haha my boys wear pink socks and hey have a pink blanket they love. No stereotyping here!

    Reply

  • How horrible for that poor boy & his Mummy!
    Parents like that make me sick, instead of encouraging your child to be a bully explain what was wrong with his behavior!
    My sons pick their own clothes & if they want to wear pink tutus I am all for it!
    I hope this doesn’t leave this poor boy with any ongoing issues because his socks were not girly, they were adorable! & they would also make a lovely jumper.
    Shame on the other mother, you should be absolutely disgusted with yourself & well done Shona, I can only hope there are more Mothers like you in the world!

    Reply

  • we live in a world that judges way too quickly

    Reply

  • This boy is 3! Of course he can choose whatever socks he likes! So far as I know, there is no physical difference between girls and boys feet.
    The offending mother is subtly teaching her son that “girls” and “girly” things are inferior.

    Reply

  • I don’t even think they look girly! Such a cultural thinf. In the UK this Christmas everyone wore patterned Christmas festive/patterned pretty stuff and it was cool to see the stereotype broken from what I know in Australia

    Reply

  • People are always going to have an opinion. I wouldn’t even worry about it. I’d just do what makes your boy happy. The socks are super cute though :)

    Reply

  • I hate that these stereotypes exist, but I hope that they won’t be a problem in the near future. It’s post, awareness and voices like yours that help to chip away at it, so keep it up. Heart sock ftw!

    • I agree – awareness does make a difference.

    Reply

  • Sadly, gender stereotypes still exist! Ignore them, the comments, the looks and laughter. Do not let small minded comments and actions tear your world apart, have the strength and conviction in your own way of life, including the socks that anyone wears in the family. Some people will laugh, but believing in yourself means, their comments, looks and laughter will bounce off you as they are meaningless.

    Reply

  • I think the socks are great. They look more like unisex ski socks to me .I would love a pair and I am 68 years old. Howszat! I think hubby would love them too. We just have to remember that some women are absolute bitches do we not?

    Reply

  • My kids wear all sorts of crazy socks . Who cares?

    Reply
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