Should I buy my 4-year-old son pink shoes?

Aaagh

My son has always insisted his favourite colour is pink (I think partly because his female cousin of the same age has everything in pink).

I've never shown any signs of disapproving. I'm sure it's nothing, and it doesn't really matter to me anyway, but if he turns out to be gay then that's fine. With toys he is mad on trains and cars, though if I leave a pair of high heels and a hand bag in the hall then he's in heaven!

Anyway, whenever we go shopping, if I ask him what colour top he wants or what shoes we should buy for him he always say pink. I've kind of brushed it off saying only girls have pink clothes/shoes. He really needs new shoes and keeps saying he wants a pink pair. Should I buy him a pair? He would be absolutely delighted, and I think it would be quite cool too, or am I asking for trouble? He wouldn't wear them to school!!

What do you think?

Supermom

Ok, seeing as no-one else has replied I thought I would

I would say no, for the reason that kids get bullied even from a young age why make things worse for them.

Is he at school? if not does he play with other boys? What does dad say?

Supermom

Sorry I shouldn't asume that dad is in the picture.

Just an idea but how about putting together a dressing up box (try charity shops or the ELC for dress-up clothes) full of different outfits, policeman, fairy, doctor ect and you can even buy little shoes, my daughter has some from mothercare and she and both her brothers have tones of fun.

Either way what ever you decide, in the end you are his mum and it doesn't matter what anyone on here thinks, you know him best.

Good luck, with whatever you decide

fernliebee

I would probably give in and buy them- maybe not all pink but a pair with a bit of pink on. If he wears them and loves them what does it matter what others think or say? On the other hand if other kids tease him he might decide that maybe pink shoes are just for girls? If he isn't wearing them to school who would tease him? Good on him! My favourite colour was green at school and being a girl all the other girls used to tease me but it didn't stop me liking it?

fernliebee

Unisex pink shoes?

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7319043/c/90280.html

Loopy_Girl

Aaagh wrote: »

He wouldn't wear them to school!!

And what happens when he has a tantrum one morning and refuses to go to school unless he gets to wear his pink shoes? Or he tells his friends at school and gets teased for it?

He's a boy for heaven's sake, why on earth would you buy him pink shoes? It's traditionally a girls colour and he is a boy. Different is he wants to paint all his pictures in pink or have pink icing on his cakes but you are talking about buying a little boy some girls clothing...are you mad?!!

Loopy_Girl

fernliebee wrote: »

My favourite colour was green at school and being a girl all the other girls used to tease me but it didn't stop me liking it?

Green is a unisex colour and boys and girls can wear it with no problem. Pink is different

fernliebee

all colours are unisex- a colour is a colour! A lot of boys fashion is now in pink anyway! A lot of men's sportswear, skatewear and beachwear has pink in it. It's not like he is asking to wear a dress?

IMO there is nothing wrong with it. OP has told him it's a girls colour and he still want's them. Maybe he will change his mind once he has them if people tease him? If he has a tantrum to wear them to school???? Tell him no, if that is your rules!!!

Ettenna

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

And what happens when he has a tantrum one morning and refuses to go to school unless he gets to wear his pink shoes? Or he tells his friends at school and gets teased for it?

He's a boy for heaven's sake, why on earth would you buy him pink shoes? It's traditionally a girls colour and he is a boy. Different is he wants to paint all his pictures in pink or have pink icing on his cakes but you are talking about buying a little boy some girls clothing...are you mad?!!

Traditionally pink was a boys colour. I remember reading it in the paper earlier this week. There was a hooha about Toys R Us and their aisles of pink stuff for girls.

Having said that I would not deliberately go out and buy a pair of everyday shoes for a boy in pink. As Supermom said above, how about a dressing up box? I am sure that they have dressing up boxes at pre-school /nursery/school and you'll find that a lot of the boys will play with the girlie stuff. And if he decides that he wants to go out in pink shoes, let him. If anyone says anything about it, then tell them to mind their own business and he will grow out of it.

I see nothing wrong with boys playing with "girly" toys and likewise girls playing with "boys" toys. I bought my godsons a Barbie doll for their 5th birthday because they wanted one and loved playing with my girls Barbies. None of them are "strange" in any way now

babs

Being the mother of 3 boys now in their teens I would have years ago said no to Pink Shoes, but I really believe these are becoming a cool accessory for boys now.

Look how many men wear pink shirts and jumpers, My cool trendy 17 year old has a pink jumper he loves.

Footballers - most lads icons have started wearing Pink football boots such as Franck Ribery wearing Nike Mercurial Vapor Rosas in a lovely pink recently.
and a competition in Match Magazine recently gave their readers (mostly young boys) the chance to win a pink pair of boots.

However, you might stuggle to find a pink pair of BOYS shoes, that are not for girls and thats where the difference comes in.

Pink is an ok boys colour as an article of clothing if its NOT in the least bit feminine or girlie.

Savvy_Sue

If you can get a strong pink, almost a red, go for it. I love pink and am very jealous that there are lots of little girl shoes in 'my' pink these days, whereas there never was when I was little. :rotfl:

Or black with pink bits. But there is a difference between the 'look' of girls shoes and boys shoes, I would be mindful of that.