Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Can we talk?

Let's talk. I was watching the today show this morning while I ate breakfast. They were doing a story on a recent J. Crew ad. This is what it looks like:

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It's sweet right? A mother and her child just laughing while they spend time together. Except apparently there's a problem because that child is a boy and the mother is painting his toes. WHAT?! Have things gotten this bad? I honestly wouldve never noticed anything "weird" about this ad at all had they not run this story this morning. The Today show had a child specialist on and a mother of a 7 year old boy who likes to wear dresses. I really appreciated what the mother said about how at first she didn't want her son to wear dresses because she didn't want him to be teased. But then she said she realized it's not about her. Man, that's it, isn't it? I have been trying to focus on this fact for some time now. I want my kids to be happy and healthy. And I want them to be who they want to be.

But that's giving J. Crew a lot of credit isn't it. I love that they ran this ad. But I love it because it's just a cute family picture. I dont think it was an intentional social message. When did things get this way? I remember on one of my first dates with Joe he pointed out that his toes were painted because his 6 year old niece asked if she could paint them. It wasn't a social message Joe was trying to make by letting her do that. He was just having a fun moment with a 6 year old.

It's out of control. We're so worried about bullying (and rightfully so) that we're letting the pendulum swing the other way to this other extreme. Kids, stay still, don't move, and no one will notice you to pick on you. Those bully kids out there are being bullies because they are so uncomfortable with themselves and differences they have withother kids that they're actually angry. That's what they're pushed to.

Just focusing on the reasonable perameters of right and wrong seems to be a better way to go about it. It's simple. It leaves more time for enjoying things. Like painting your kids toes.

1 comment:

  1. Nice commentary and I wholeheartedly agree. Tosca (your mom's friend)

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