O has a decisive personality; he knows what he likes and what he doesn’t – even when it comes to fashion and design.
He won’t hesitate to declare “No.” to your outfit as you emerge from the bedroom and is happy to hand-pick a more appropriate option. He’s also liberal with the praise…one look at G’s Vera Bradley bag or new dangly earrings and he exclaims “Oooh! I like that!” We’ve found that O is just as likely to pile on the puppy purses at the store, swinging them gleefully from his shoulders, as he is to settle into the dirt with a dinosaur or dump truck. G and I are pretty pleased with his interest in diversification and as an artist, I love that he has an eye for color, design and composition. I love that he doesn’t shy away from typically marketed “girl” items, though I don’t know why every piece of Dora the Explorer merch has to be pink. Most of all, I love his confidence and his commitment to that which makes him happy.
If he wants a spangly, purple bag, so be it. If he wants a race car trucker hat, I’m fine with that too. We don’t believe in segregating toys by gender. He has a train track and tea set, a basketball hoop and a play kitchen. My own parents always let me be me – even if it meant having their daughter dress as a 19th century “newsie” complete with suspenders and pageboy cap. G’s family often tells of the football helmet she wore everywhere as a kid – even to church. I always recognized and appreciated my family’s support of my personal expression and it’s that same kind of unconditional acceptance that O will always receive from his parents, sequined purse or not.
The Baba `Hood 