Do you think the children’s clothing industry pushes girls to grow up faster than boys?
Oh yes. Just compare a children’s clothing catalogue from as little as 20 years ago with today, girls’ clothing has been increasingly ‘sexed up’ and presented as ‘little adult’ wear. I do think boys are being pushed also ~ kids of six and seven can’t be friends without being boyfriend and girlfriend if they are opposite sex, and little boys are still expected to be ‘tough’ and mechanical rather than creative and intuitive. Check out how sex-divided the toy section of any department store is for confirmation. Parents and other adults have the power to change this, simply by exercising their pocket power, but it’s also good to remember that kids go through ‘phases’ of liking toys, dolls, colours and activities … if it’s not made too much of, they’ll often move on to something new!
