Pink

Matthew needed a new winter coat. I was totally in agreement. He really wanted it to be pink. I hesitated.

Won't kids make fun of him?

I don't know.

Am I overreacting? 

Definitely.

A boy's pink coat used to be grounds for bullying and shame. Pink meant girly, which was synonymous in my mind with weak, silly, and frivolous. It was fine (and expected?) for girls to be these things (though I did NOT want to be seen that way), but not for boys. It turns out, however, that kids are growing up watching movies and reading books where girls and women have a broader range of socially-acceptable behaviors. They still have to be thin and beautiful, but they can also be smart, fierce, and compassionate leaders. They have autonomy. They are powerful. If I grew up when pink meant THOSE things, I might have developed a better feeling about pink. 

Well, whatever pink means now, Matthew just likes the color. He likes it as much as I hate it, actually. I tried to get him to choose purple just so I wouldn't have a pink coat in the house. No dice. This kid knows what he wants. 

When I was dropping Matthew off at school for the second day with his brand new pink coat, he pointed out one of his classmates hopping out of his car in front of us. He told me his name, which I promptly forgot because 1) he wasn't one of Matthew's closer friends, and 2) that kid was wearing a pink coat, too!

Icicle sword fighting