John Lewis, You're Too Late!

John Lewis you are the stuff of dreams, but I’m afraid you’re 27 years too late. 

As a girl who grew up loving monsters, dinosaurs and teenage mutant ninja turtles, little 4 year old me would have loved nothing more than a t-shirt or a dress with a dinosaur on.

Don’t get me wrong, Barbie was still up there on my favourite toy list ~ right next to my best transformer. 
Occasionally they might have got married and I’m pretty sure they had a fight once when a dinosaur gatecrashed Barbies dreamhouse party and refused to get out of the pool.

My point is that Children don’t see gender. Or colour. Or sexuality. Or any of that other stuff. They see people, toys and clothes.

If Lola wants to play with toy soldiers, go to football practice or wear “boys” clothes with monsters or superheroes on them, will I tell her she can’t? No.

If I had a little boy and he wanted dance lessons and loved Disney Princesses. Would I stop him wearing a princess dress or clothing? Absolutely not.

Being told ‘NO’ just because you are a boy or a girl is how gender stereotypes are learnt. Not by John Lewis launching a line of gender neutral clothing or labelling their clothes “girls and boys”.

Personally I think it’s an awesome move on John lewis’ part. It’s about choice and acceptance, and I’m totally down with that.
I want Lola to grow up with an open mind, a good heart and have confidence to be who she is.

Why don’t we just let children be children and clothes be clothes? Neither need to be identified by labels in my little world xx

(Photo of the gender neutral clothing range from John Lewis)

Written by Hayley Messenger for her blog, Life With Lola x.