Do I give into the "pink" bike, jackets, etc?

[WatchingThemGrow]

DD is in love with pink. I'm not a pastel pink lover, so we've steered away from it for so long. Maybe some hot pink here or there, but she's into a "must be pink" phase.

We went with the plastic pink FP dollhouse, which overjoyed her. She begged for the pink "girl colored" coat on LE clearance, etc. At the bike shop, she was in love with the pink bike and wanted nothing to do with the red/blue "boy" ones.

Do I have to get her some of these pink things that cannot be handed down, esp. the next bike at the 4th bday? Is that something *I* need to get over or will she?

[KpbS]

Honestly, on the little things like a clearanced coat, I would. But for the bigger ticket items sure to be handed down like a bike, I would purchase the red/blue bike and a very cute pink flowery basket and pink streamers to be removed at a later date ;)

[WatchingThemGrow]

Well, the clearance coat was still $34. And the bike...I'm wondering if we'll need two of the same size at the same time. Our DC are close in age. Do you think? We do usually get that kind of gear at a discount from our friend's bike shop.

[crl]

I agree. I would try to indulge the pink longing with inexpensive things as much as possible, to include the coat since it was on clearance. And for the more major things, I'd try to go with pink accessories.

(I never, never thought I'd say this, but recently I've realized that I actually think boys clothes are cuter just because I don't like the pepto bottle exploded effect of most girls clothes.)

Catherine

[bubbaray]

Well, we did/do. But, we only have girls and are D.O.N.E.

GL!

[crl]

Hmm, $34. Maybe not. Maybe a plainer coat and pink mittens and hat? I'm not sure what I'd do.

Catherine

[Corie]

My daughter LOVES pink! I just go with it. And yes, her bike is pink
along with her bike helmet. Her Razor scooter is pink. Everything is pink.

FWIW, I also have a son. He'll get his own bike, scooter, etc.

[KpbS]

Well, the clearance coat was still $34. And the bike...I'm wondering if we'll need two of the same size at the same time. Our DC are close in age. Do you think? We do usually get that kind of gear at a discount from our friend's bike shop.

Hmmm $34...I'm not sure. I guess if you can consign it (if you consign) and use the $$ to replace it you are just out the time and effort not the $$ so much. That is a good point about needing two bikes/scooters/etc. You probably will end up with 2 in use at the same time as long as they are similar in size/build. Good point.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Hmmm $34...I'm not sure. I guess if you can consign it (if you consign) and use the $$ to replace it you are just out the time and effort not the $$ so much. That is a good point about needing two bikes/scooters/etc. You probably will end up with 2 in use at the same time as long as they are similar in size/build. Good point.

Well, right...so I'd have to get a pink bike, then buy a boy one for DS1, then a year later (if even) turn around and sell the pink one and buy another boy one - so we'd have to buy three of the same sized bikes! I need to find a way to fix this cycle! I got away with one red balance bike and a blue and orange set of scooters, but she's in love with this. I mean, how cool are white tires??? http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/kids/ages_4_6/float/ Oh - click on the girl version at the bottom.

[ourbabygirl]

That is a very cute bike, but still pricey- could you find a cheaper brand? Or maybe buy a cheaper brand and spray paint it that color pink? :ROTFLMAO:

[scrooks]

I have a DD and a DS and for clothing items I don't really think about buying things for reuse...I get mostly pink/ girl things for her.

In terms of toys like a bike, I'm not sure, although she got a pink scooter for Christmas (picked by me- everyone told me I should have got the gender neutral one but the pink one was so cute.) I think if its something we will have 2 of and they will use at the same time I will probably get her a girl one but if it is likely to be handed down I may think twice and go gender neutral....

[JamiMac]

Sure, I'd let her pick her own colors. We let my DD's pick out big things like bikes and coats because that's a big thing to them. My son rides around right now on a pink and purple trike that was handed down from my DD's. He doesn't care a bit and neither do we! When he's old enough to pick his own bike, he can pick out the color he wants. I would indulge her on this one!

[Corie]

I mean, how cool are white tires???


My daughter has the Trek Mystic bike. The white tires are super cool. :)
We even put colored spokes and light-up stars on the tires.

[traciann]

Well, right...so I'd have to get a pink bike, then buy a boy one for DS1, then a year later (if even) turn around and sell the pink one and buy another boy one - so we'd have to buy three of the same sized bikes! I need to find a way to fix this cycle! I got away with one red balance bike and a blue and orange set of scooters, but she's in love with this. I mean, how cool are white tires??? http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/kids/ages_4_6/float/ Oh - click on the girl version at the bottom.

I try to think in terms of with 2nd, 3rd, etc kids they don't always get the newest toys and clothes and what not. I would get the pink bike and when its ds's turn to have a bike then get him his own. Are they all going to be riding the same size bike at the same time? If so, then you are going to need three bikes anyway.

I tried to keep things gender neutral, but dd wants PINK!

[citymama]

Wow, that's one cool bike. We've also been talking about a bike for DD's 4th birthday - I had no idea they were so pricey! Of course, she wants a pink or purple bike as well.

What we do and don't give in to on the color issue - do give in on clothes and accessories (she only wants to wear dresses, and most of them are either pink or purple although we've snuck in some blues and reds and greens that she loves). Ditto for shoes and jackets - anything to get her to wear a jacket, although she rarely wears one any way. We don't give in on things that will be prominently displayed in our home - she has no plastic pink toys if we can help it, especially bigger ticket things like play kitchens or furniture or room decor. Her trike is blue and red (but she almost never uses it - hmm, wonder if pink would have been better after all!). Now that we know that DC2 is going to be a girl, if DD1 insists on a pink bike, we'll probably give in. Since your youngest is such a big kid, you may end up having to buy him his own bike at the same time as hers. But maybe you can talk her into red, just in case!

[MoJo]

No BTDT, but I was wondering if something like silver would be a better compromise. It would look great with pink accessories (I don't think a blue or red bike would), but still be cool for a boy.

Of course, when I was growing up, boy's bikes and girl's bikes were made differently. Has that changed? Because I loved my blue bike as a child, but it was definitely a girl's bike.

For things like coats, most I've seen look definitely "boy" or "girl", so I'd find something she likes in your price range without worrying about handing it down, even if that means your price range is lower.

I'm guessing she's looking for a way to be different than your boys, and pink is a very easy and obvious way to stand out!

(FWIW, like your DD, I am the oldest, with two younger siblings (a boy, then a girl.) When I was around your DD's age, my mom stopped letting me pick things like clothes for myself just because she didn't like the color or pattern. I HATED that, and I still feel a bit of resentment to this day. Because of my personality, I learned to "like" whatever she liked because I wanted her acceptance more than anything and feared her disapproval when I picked something she didn't like. I know you didn't ask for that, and I'm not at all saying you'd ever do that. Just wanted to give you my experience.)

[vonfirmath]

1. Don't girls and guys bikes look different (the bar in a different place?)

2. Friends of mine, their son painted the girls' pink bike to make it his own.

3. my sister and I (21 months apart) got bikes at the same time (red Schwinns) -- so we never had hand me down bikes at all.

[Melaine]

Take it with a grain of salt since I don't have more than one age group yet, but I don't really plan to have many hand-me-downs for future children. I shop bargains and sell everything once we are done with it. To me, buying used for stuff like bikes is the way to go, because you can buy at $X, use for a couple years, then sell at $X and not be out much money if any. (sometimes I make money this way).
For coats I would go with the color DC would choose, but only if on sale. My girls love purple but their coats are green because that is the best deal I found at LandsEnd and the girly colors were sold out. I realize this will be trickier as they are older, but not something I plan to change. I can find a purple/pink scarf or headband at the dollar store to go along with the green coat and that will have to do.

[KrisM]

For inexpensive stuff, I do pink. I did get her a pink winter coat/snow pants because she wears them daily, so I was okay getting her something different than what we had from DS1.

For bikes, we went with getting a more expensive brand (Trek) that would last through 3 kids. We have a 12" red bike and a 16" blue bike. She has no issues riding the red bike, even though she really wants a pink one :). This summer, we'll likely get DS1 a new bike and hand down the blue one to her.

To make her happier about the bike, we got her a pink and purple helmet and put a bike basket on it and she was just fine.

Sure, DS1 gets the new stuff and the others don't. But, it's just how it goes on the expensive stuff. And, he didn't really "pick" the bike either - we did. I am thinking that a 20" bike will last a number of years, so he'll pick one out and in a couple years, she will too. But, for the bikes that last 1-2 years, we just got ones everyone could use.

And, FWIW, DS1 really wanted a scooter a few years ago. He had just turned 3 and I told him that if we found a 3-wheel scooter at a garage sale, we'd get it. We found one that day for $2 and it was pink. He happily rode that for 2 years :).

[viba424]

If it were a special bike, like her first big girls bike for example, I would get her what she wants. My parents still have my pink bike from when I was young and I treasure it.

[MamaMolly]

I know you didn't ask about this but it popped into my mind, so I'll share. :) I think you need to be careful of the 'taboo' thing. The more you limit her pink the more she's going to want it. As for the bike, etc. Your DCs are close enough in age that I think you'll probably end up getting each one their own bike anyway, though I love the silver idea another PP had.

Do you do resale or consignment? I'd think that a name brand coat would sell well. I bought DD Land's End jackets in navy blue because it was the nicest one in her size at the consignment store. I think I paid $22 for it, used. I'd never pay that for a used Target brand jacket, for example. So $34 new doesn't seem like a terrible deal to me, especially when she'll get a year's use out of it.

[alien_host]

FWIW, my DD loves pink and purple and she picked this Trek bike in red. I have to admit I was disappointed she didn't want the pink one ;_

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/kids/ages_4_6/jet16/

On a different note, I regret spending $200 on a bike since she really didn't ride it much this year (got it in late April for her 4th b'day and she just started really using it in October, then it snowed).

So you *might* want to consider a less expensive bike unless you feel she will ride it a lot or that you would pass it down --- just to get your money's worth.

I wanted "quality", even though we only have one child and I think I could have gotten away with something less expensive.

As for the pink....I buy her a ton of pink clothing but for some reason bikes, scooters etc we tend to get gender neutral (i.e. red). I figured it had more general resale appeal if it wasn't strictly a girl's color.

[khalloc]

I have a 4yo DD and a almost 2 yo DS. My DD LOVES pink! Loves it.

Before I had DS I would let her get pink things, coat, snow pants, boots, etc...but once I realized #2 would be a boy, I started limiting the pink. I do still let her get a girly colored jacket, but now snow boots, snow pants, rain boots, mittens are all black or navy blue. I just can't afford to buy another set of boy ones. Well i can afford it, but it makes no sense, so there! I usually buy all these snow items from LL Bean and if I'm spending $50 on a pair of snow pants that she might only fit into for 1 season, I figure I should buy black that way DS can wear them too. Her jackets I usually buy a little big and she can wear them for at least 2 years, and she is wearing it every day, so I figure I get my money worth if I am buying a $70 jacket.

Santa did get her a Disney Princess bike. It was only $60. I figured that DS needs some fun stuff that is new. I keep her rain coat gender neutral now (yellow) too. I'll probably let her get girly colored shoes for the most part, just not boots.

[mecawa]

We let DD1 get pink things if that is what she chooses. I didn't do the whole pink stroller, pink pack n'play, etc., just in case I someday have a boy (although her frontier is pink but my 2nd is a girl, so she'll get it next) but other than that her clothes including snow clothes, are all pink and some purple. Her first bike/tricycle was red, her push car was red/yellow, but her bike she got for preschool graduation last year was pink, she picked it out.

[shishamo]

I'll get the pink Jacket for sure. Bike: I will get the pink one and if your son hates the pink one you can decide at that point whether you want to sell, spray paint, etc.

I think my opinion is colored by the fact that I have 3 kids- a boy, girl and a girl. The girls absolutely hates the hand me down boy clothing (this started around 3). One of the girls spent an entire winter with her pink fleece pullover because she hated the hand me down ski parka so much and refused to wear it. That was the end of the hand me down boy jacket for us!

I also think that by the time the girls are 4, a lot of them are acutely aware of the difference between boy clothing and girl clothing. As much as I like the idea of hand-me-down (and I do try), I also think it is hard to be the only one in her preschool class with boy jacket.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Ugh...we STILL need help making this decision. We've been to the bike shop, tried out the different sizes. The Float was a little too big. I don't think it will be long for her to fit on it, though. She's ridden different girl bikes around the bike shops, has been insisting on a pink one.

I picked up a free smaller bike (silver) from CL, and when she went outside to ride, she WAILED and WAILED, "It's not PIIIIINNNNNKK! WAAAAH." Refused to get on it. The next day, we put the balance bike for DS1 and the free bike for her in the car and went elsewhere to ride. She happily jumped on, pedaled away (with training wheels) but seemed like she needed the TW support. I've showed her some different bikes on CL and she's been totally set on pastel pink - but now, after riding the silver bike - she claims she wants the blue bike with a pink basket. For 2 days now, when I just ask out of the blue, she says she wants the blue bike with a pink basket. Go figure. Why can't I/she make up our minds about this? DH and I would much rather have something to pass down.

[codex57]

It sounds like the pink accessory thing will work.

So far, for our major items, that's what we've done. Some stuff hasn't been passed on as expected, so it's good that DS doesn't care that he has a ton of red stuff.

[KpbS]

Quick! Go with the blue and pink/flower accessories :)

[tmarie]

I am struggling with this constantly, as my almost 5yo dd is obsessed with pink. It's to the point that I feel stressed out about even buying clothes that aren't pink, because god knows they will just hang in the closet and never get worn. We have a dd#2, so I can at least rationalize that all of this stuff will get used twice. All that said, I would try to indulge your dd on things like a pink bike and coat. It is pretty adorable about how much simple pleasure and glee they derive from these "pink" things. How can we deprive them of that? :)

tmarie

[awoodm]

Well, I only have boys so I am not sure my opinion counts for much, but here goes...

Since it's for your DD's b-day present, I would personally get the color DD wanted. If it was just a regular family purchase, then I would pick a gender neutral color with the intent of it being passed down later. If it's that important to her, then I would go with it. Then, when she outgrows it you can resell, or let one of your boys have a cool pink bike- if they are anything like mine they could care less ;).

[khalloc]

My DD loves pink. I buy pink for her usually if its something I know she will get alot of use out of, like a winter jacket. But for items like snow pants, boots, etc...I will buy black because then i can use them for my son later. But I know she will wear the jacket everyday and I buy it big so she has it for 2 years. I also let her get a pink bike, because it was a cheapie for like $60 and a present from Santa. I figure when the time comes DS will want the thrill of a new bike too.

[mom_hanna]

dd is 5 and ds is 3. Her bike is a bright orange Specialized with pink streamers on the handlebars, and it will be handed down to ds. We can't afford to buy "boy" AND "girl" items of things that cost a lot. Clothing like winter coats, yes, starting this year we have decided to buy her colors that she wants instead of neutral. But we have never spent more than $20 on any one clothing item. Her previous winter jackets were navy blue, green or red, and have all been handed down to ds.

I would go for the neutral bike and have her pick out pink accessories to go with it. Pink helmet, streamers, basket, bell, etc.