Blue Is Still A Boy Color

Ok – so my daughter’s favorite color is blue. Is that such a bad thing? Last year, I shared the saga of picking out birthday plates in “Blue Is A Boy Color” and this year I had to re-live that experience in Part Two while picking out balloons for this year’s party. Today was just icing on the birthday cake, though. I swear there needs to be a class on gender education that explains to people that it is ok for little girls to like “boy colors”.

Today is my daughter Katelynn’s actual birthday. Being the good mother that I am, I took treats to her class today. Prior to this, Katelynn had selected blue and white swirl cupcakes to be made by our local grocery store and topped with a soccer ring. This afternoon, I stopped in to pick them up and as the cashier was ringing up my order, she looked at the cupcakes and said “Oooh, someone’s having a birthday today” to which I replied “yes, I’m on my way to the school now.” I should have been expecting her next comment, but I am still somewhat optimistic that women are smart enough to not assume a gender based on color or decoration, but I was once again proved wrong.

She handed me my receipt and said “Looks like he’s going to have a fun party!” He? Ugh. Here we go again.  I quickly explained that they were for my daughter who plays soccer and her favorite color is blue. The lady was obviously disinterested and probably thought I was weird, but I couldn’t let her just assume that the cupcakes were for a boy because they were blue and had a sports object on top.

One lesson I work hard to teach my children is never to assume. Think outside the box at all of the possibilities, but never assume that your conclusion is correct. I catch them all that time saying things that aren’t factual so I ask them how they “know”. They give me some jacked up answer and then I follow up by explaining all the possibilities that it could be just so I can prove them wrong and make them think through their answers before spouting off incorrect statements. Call it an OCD, but I absolutely can’t stand people who are grasping at straws, but act as if they are stating facts.   If you don’t know, just say so.   Yes, it’s that easy.   Repeat after me.   “I don’t know.”  Or better yet, do one of these:  :-??

Here is a prime example of what I am talking about…As we were walking into the school the other day, there was a blue powdery substance spilled on the carpet.   Kate immediately said “I know what that is – that’s Fun Dip” (brightly colored sugar for those of you who haven’t ever had the joy of inhaling a candy that gives you the fastest sugar-high known to kids under 12).

I immediately replied “How do you know? Did you see someone spill it?” knowing full well that she hadn’t.

She answered “no, but that’s what it is.” So I reminded her that there are other things in the world that look like that such as colored sand or ground up chalk. Suddenly the light bulb went off in her head and she said “yeah, it’s probably chalk. Maybe someone stepped on some chalk.”

Ok – that’s a little better. She is still assuming it is chalk, but at least she’s taking the time to consider we are in a school building and chalk would be a more commonly found item than Fun Dip. The spill was a rather large one, so I seriously doubt it was chalk and if it was Fun Dip, it would have to be a jumbo bag of it to make that much of a mess. I would wager it was colored sand from an art project.   I didn’t stop to taste it.

So the lesson here is never to assume.   I know the saying you’re probably thinking about that goes “Never assume.   It makes an…” but since I try to keep things PG here I will refrain from completing it.   ;)

My birthday is next week and I would like to have green cupcakes with drums on them…will the saga continue?