Just the other day I was in superdrug and Sienna was in her Ergo carrier on my chest, asleep, when the shop assistant says "boy or girl?" I say "pardon" giving him time to just look at her outfit and realize, "oh right, she is wearing pink, clearly she's a girl..." but no, he repeats himself, this time just saying "boy?" I say "girl..." with a lovely fake smile.
If this happened once in a while I probably wouldn't mind, but the fact that it happens almost any time I am out of our flat is becoming quite irritating! Please note, all you need to do to find out what the gender of a baby is very simple. OPEN your eyes and check out the outfit. If the baby is not wearing pink, blue, girly dress or boyish slacks, then say "how old is your little one?" Typically the parent will then tell you "he/she is ______." Never assume.
The other day we were on the tube coming back from Notting hill and Sienna was smiling at the lady sitting next to us... The lady then went on to ignore that Sienna was wearing a pink top, and flowery leggings, and say "I think he is chatting me up!" (flirting in britspeak). I said, "Yes, SHE is very flirtatious, even with morons like you..." Okay, I didn't say the last part, but I was thinking it.
A few weeks ago, Kyle, Sienna and I were at the National Gallery. It was great fun, Sienna napped and then took in some paintings by Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Monet, then of course another run in with a gender assuming individual.... "Awww, isn't HE lovely!" (knife in back) "Did HE enjoy the art gallery!?" (twist knife now...) I smiled and ignored this time... Maybe she thought I was being rude, maybe she thought I didn't speak english, or maybe she realized, "shit that baby is wearing a red hat with a little bow on it!"
I am sure this will happen several more times until her hair is long enough to put it into two pony tails with pink bows tied around them!
Deb, love the blog, so great for your family and friends to get updates on Sienna while you're living the international life!
ReplyDeleteI am so with you on the boy-calling. Sadie gets it ALL THE TIME, also when wearing pink. sometimes even when she's wearing pink dresses. Maybe the people think she's in drag?
once someone asked me what "his" name was and i was so sick of having the awkward, "uh, HER name is Sadie" conversation, that I actually just made up a boy's name! true. then I spent the rest of the day being totally weirded out by the fact that every time I looked at her, I was like "oh, that's just my son, Jack."
I guess it's because our girls look like their Daddy's so much!!
ReplyDeletePerhaps if we have boys they will look like girls ;)
It really makes for an awkward moment when you have to say HER name is.... The other person tries to make an excuse like, "oh yes she is wearing pink but it has blue flowers on it, so it threw me off!" or "oh, yes, her soother says 'princess!'" Fools!