Not So Pretty In Pink, Part 5

(My local retail store organizes the toys into baby/toddler, girls, boys. My daughter is nearly two years old, and I start shopping for birthday presents and Christmas presents in October. I try to find ones she’ll like; as a result I go into the toys for boys to find a bag of blocks in bold colors and happen to let it slip they’re for my daughter.)

Me: “Oh, finally.” *grabs the bag* “She’ll love these!”

Worker: “’She’ll’?”

Me: “Hmm? Oh, yes, they’re for my daughter. She loves bold colors, plus I can use them to teach her colors.”

Worker: “Don’t you think you should get the girls’ version then?”

Me: “There’s not really a difference in the three versions other than colors.”

Worker: “But the girls get more colors!”

Me: “She would prefer these.”

Worker: “No, she wouldn’t.”

Me: “I think I would know my own daughter. I’ll get these for her.”

(I put the bag of blocks in the front of the cart, where you would sit your child as I have a feeling if I put them in the back the worker would snatch them.)

Worker: “No! She needs the GIRL version!”

Me: “Lady, she plays with the SAME blocks at my in-laws and no one gives a damn! If my daughter clearly don’t care what the gender is for toys, why the hell should she care what the gender is for THESE?”

Worker: “It’s not right!” *she stamped, yes STAMPED her feet like a child after this until other people peered into the aisle to see what was up*

Me: “Fine. Go put on a pink vest.”

Worker: “Why?!”

Me: “Blue is for boys! Gosh don’t you know?!”

Worker: “Blue looks just fine on me!”

Me: “But it’s for boys! You should probably also wear pink and purple and pastel EVERYTHING!”

Worker: “I like darker colors!”

Me: “Well, so does my nearly two-year-old daughter. Actually the bolder the better. This way she’ll learn red, blue, yellow, green.”

Worker: “But she’s a GIRL!”

Me: “Trust me, I’m aware of that. I changed multiple diapers by now and have given her a bath.”

(Unbeknownst to me, one of the customers that was behind me had flagged down a manager and they came up right behind the worker.)

Worker: “SHE SHOULD HAVE THE GIRL BLOCKS!” *reaches towards the bag of blocks I currently have in my cart and that I still have my arms around*

Manager: “[Worker]!”

Worker: *jumps high and turns around, paling*

Manager: “Just… just go to the office. I’ll deal with you in a moment.”

(I haven’t’ seen that worker in toys since, but I have seen her in food, where she can’t yell at anyone for purchasing macaroni and cheese for a boy or girl, and where she can give me the dirtiest look she can possibly manage. I did get that block set and I can’t wait to see my daughter’s face when she realizes she has her very own set now!)