Disappointed girl mom shared powerful post about gendered clothes at Gap—it immediately triggered change

Gender bias comes from an unruly past and adults know the burden and the pain of being treated inferior due to gender. However, kids don’t understand and learn to create their mindset based on the treatment they receive. Little girls don’t realize that they’re being handed dolls while boys are handed trucks because of gender discrimination. A mom named Jamie Stelter (@jamiestelter) was disheartened to learn that even children’s clothing has fallen prey to gender stereotypes. The mom shared a post after her experience and it’s another powerful reminder to steer clear from pushing kids into a stigmatic, outdated reality. 

The mom revealed that she purchased a set of PJs for her son from GAP. The clothing was blue with traffic signals and doodles of cars and vehicles. “Why, why, why are they not also in the girl's department?! Because they’re blue? Because they have cars on them? Because only little boys can like blue and cars,” the mom questioned. Stelter expressed her frustration for repeatedly seeing somber, pink, cute colors with unicorns only for girls and bold prints only for guys. “This is (sadly) not new and (sadly) not just the Gap.” She added that as a girl mom, it’s clear that society is giving girls, even her 2-year-old the idea “that this is what they ‘should and shouldn’t’ wear.'” 

“Why are there even separate boys and girls departments at this young age?! Please tell me I'm not alone in my mom rage,” the post concluded. Stelter left many pondering about the subconscious cruelty. To think of how little children are pushed to believe something unfair is disappointing. The mom clarified that she wasn’t trying to call out the store but was making a “broader point,” per TODAY. “Girls’ stuff is pink and glittery. Boys get fun, graphic prints,” she remarked. Along with her, several parents shared similar plights they faced. @meganandcrow wrote, “My daughter loves cars/anything with wheels—I’ve always had to shop in the ‘boys’ section to get her anything.”

@nicoledorsa added, “We are a dog family and I always have to go to the boys' section to find anything with a dog on it. The girls' section is all cats and unicorns. Why?” The mom’s plea rang far and wide to make a difference. In a follow-up post, Stelter revealed that the store heard her point and decided to change their mindset. They sent the mom a message that said, “We hear you!” It further read that their design team is working on unisex designs for kids to enjoy, irrespective of their gender. The mom noted, “They said, ‘We want to work on this.’ I thought that was so thoughtful.”

A spokesperson for the brand noted, “Our design team in New York City creates PJs for both boys and girls to wear and love, mix and match.” The GAP website now contains a mixed range of sleepingwear for boys and girls to pick from, no bias included. Stelter is grateful for being heard and only hopes that the change the store has made can go a long way and become a bigger change all over.

You can follow Jamie Stelter (@jamiestelter) on Instagram for more powerful content on parenting.