This summer I remember taking the little boy I nanny to the park, and listening to all the moms talk about all sorts of stuff every single day. I never added my own input to their discussions because I'm only 19 and I'm not a mom, and most of them probably already thought I was my little four year old's mother. Anyways, I noticed that a reoccurring conversation was whether girls and boys should be raised the same way. My personal opinion, at first, was of course -- but then I started to think about how my parents raised me.

One mother informed the group that she didn't allow her three year old daughter to wear anything pink at all because that was demeaning. I really like the color pink. It's not my favorite, but I do enjoy writing in pink pens, painting my nails pink, and sometimes wearing the color. I don't have a problem with it, and neither did my mom when I was growing up. I started to think about what it would have been like if my mom had banned the color pink from my life. It might not seem like a big deal, but in reality, it probably will effect this three year old girl in one way or another.

My childhood friend and me playing outside. I'm in the pink swim suit of course.

This little girl is going to grow up her entire childhood hearing that pink is bad and inferior to "boy colors." The reality of the situation is that pink is usually a "girl color." I'm not supporting the notion that there should be boy colors and girl colors, but it does exist and we can't pretend it doesn't. If this little girl grows up believing pink is inferior, who is to say that one day she won't grow up and believe that girls are inferior. I understand that this mother was trying to instill the opposite idea in her daughter's little head, but in all reality, I think this might have an adverse effect.

Personally, I don't think that parents should try to control all aspects of their children's lives. I get that at three years old this child obviously had very little say, but what happens when she's five and wants to get a pink shirt? Is her mother going to tell her she's not allowed to wear pink? How is she going to explain to her daughter that pink is "bad"?

I grew up in a home wear my mom literally let me wear whatever I wanted. As a result, I didn't wear jeans until I was eight because I loved dresses so much. My wardrobe was primarily pink (because I liked pink). For being the epitome of a girly girl my entire childhood, I think I turned out alright in my opinion. I played the same games my little brothers played and I explored the woods in my neighborhood wearing pink. I don't feel like I'm weaker because I'm a girl. It's who I am and I know I can do anything I set my mind to. Isn't that what really matters? It doesn't matter what color I wear or if I'm wearing a dress as long as I achieve my goals. That's what I wish these young moms would actually tell their daughters.

My little brother and me playing together. I'm wearing pink princess pajamas.

I don't think there is a problem with the color pink. By not allowing little girls to wear pink just to keep their wardrobe gender neutral, we are only promoting the idea that girls can or should only wear girl colors. There is nothing wrong with a little girl being girly; it doesn't make her weak. Liking the color pink isn't sexist; it's sexist to think that pink is in inferior because it's girly. Girls don't need to be masculine in order to be strong. Let kids wear whatever color they want to wear. Let girls wear pink. Let boys wear pink. Raise boys and girls the same way by letting them make their own decisions on such matters.