Comments on: Cycle of oppression

By: We knocked on the neighbour’s door « Raising My Boychick

We knocked on the neighbour’s door « Raising My Boychick — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 10:18:17 +0000

[...] Cycle of oppression [...]

By: Zoe

Zoe — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:50:23 +0000

Hey, no shame in the new bikes, either, if that’s what fits your needs. It’s definitely more of a treasure hunt to get the perfect vintage bike. And some of the new Treks are really, really cute ^_^ Enjoy the land of great bike paths! I miss how easy it is to bike in Portland…

By: Arwyn

Arwyn — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:59:58 +0000

Yes, well, I ended up with a Trek anyway. And it does actually fit quite well, though it is their largest size.

The seat is definitely more comfortable (and the fit is so much better, which is probably helping also), but I gotta say wearing cloth pads is not the best way to get comfy on a new bike!

By: Arwyn

Arwyn — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:57:40 +0000

I think you’re making it a wee bit more complicated than it needs to be. It’s just a piece of clothing. Tell him you bought it for him, or put it in his closet/dresser, or wait ’til he asks again. There’s not really a wrong answer there.

If you really don’t want him wearing it at daycare, just tell him it’s clothing for at home or running errands or going to the park. If you’ve already introduced the idea of school clothes/other clothes, that should be really easy.

And if he really wants to wear it to daycare, well, it’s up to you which matters more to you: allowing him his self expression, or protecting him from potential hurt. (I say that neutrally; both are worthy parenting goals.) Perhaps try letting him (if the adults caring for him are in your corner; what makes teasing/bullying/abuse truly traumatizing is when those in authority ignore the problem or side with the abusers, even subtly), and (without making a big deal out of it) bring a change of clothes in case there are problems.

By: Arwyn

Arwyn — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:48:51 +0000

It’s sort of horribly ironic that this was waiting in moderation queue while I was in the bike shop, and I found and approved it right after I’d bought a, ahem, new bike… *shuffles abashedly*

To be fair, we did go to a couple new/used bike stores first, and didn’t find what I was looking for. But I’m now feeling slightly guilty I didn’t look harder.

Though only a little, because after five bike stores in five neighbourhoods on both sides of the river over two days, with toddler in tow, I was pretty much done trying to keep the kid from killing himself or ruining the merchandise (or eating more than a few 234857 calorie “energy bars”).

Plus, it’s awful pretty and comfy. *sheepish smile*

(And also, welcome Zoe! And thanks for delurking and commenting. )

By: KatherineK

KatherineK — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:41:51 +0000

Here in the UK, we have just got a trike for our little girl in, get this, NEUTRAL COLOURS!!!!! And in fact, I mostly see trikes in various neutral colours (though there are the super pink and super blue ones around). It’s almost as if parents, when actually given a choice, don’t want to genderize their children right from birth!

By: Zoe

Zoe — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:05:56 +0000

First time commenter, long-time reader and admirer here! Bikes are a subject near to my heart, so I could not help but chime in.

Please consider getting an old 70s or 80s bike — heck, even a vintage 60s cruiser! The gendered paint jobs for bikes seem much less pervasive from bikes for that period, for one, and for two you don’t have to spend spend spend to get a great bike. You live in Portland, home of a zillion used bike shops. Check one of them out before you drop several hundred bucks on a revamp of an old classic that didn’t need revamping! For most people’s cycling needs, the beauty, stability, and downright coolness of a vintage bike can’t be beat.

By: Turtle

Turtle — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:18:07 +0000

I’ve had my “men’s” mountain bike since my early teens, more than 15 years. It’s old and occasionally I look longingly at other people’s new shiny bikes, with soft wide seats and more gears and suspension. But my bike and I have been through so much together, I refuse to upgrade. It may not have been designed for my gender or body shape, but I’m just used to it. I’m a bit skeptical about all the new different bikes, gendered or not. Okay, so maybe they suit some people and their needs better, but most of it is just consumerism (sorry don’t mean to spoil the fun!)- “they” are trying to convince us we need a better bike, convince us the new is better than the old. Most bikes can serve us well, with a bit of TLC. (Of course I don’t know about you’re particular old bikes, Arwyn, just speaking generally!)
On the issue of gendered kids bikes, this has been getting my blood pumping lately too. I recently visited a bike shop looking for a bike for Wren and was disgusted that the boy’s bike were all for little soldiers, camo-style. Wren was drawn to the bright girl’s bikes, with sparkles and tassels and baskets. I would have happily got him the girl’s bike, but we later opted for a cheaper, more ‘neutral’ bike from another store, brightly colored, with jellybeans on it, and – crucially – a basket.
Anyway, yay for cycling!

By: Arwyn

Arwyn — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:05:36 +0000

What, you mean you don’t read every single link I lovingly and painstakingly hand-select for your illumination?? Fah!

It’s a stand with resistance that you place a regular bike into that basically turns it into a stationary exercise bike.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:11:28 +0000

Oops, didn’t see your comment about Trek being stupid. Well, I’m not a lot of help. I’m 5′ 8″+, so I guess I’m still considered to be a woman. Lucky for me that I didn’t grow more.