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I've noticed a real swing in the past 10 or so years with more baby products geared towards the male parent. Like diaper bags. years ago every diaper bag had some stomach turning cute cartoon style and color. Finally somebody started realizing Dads and alot of Moms too don't want to carry that stuff around and now there are very practical and attractive bags without all that cutsey stuff on it. Same for strollers and snugglies. Real progress I think. Don't under estimate the power of the consumer. We just need to make our voices heard .
Most of the shopping is done by the mom (in most cases), so it makes sense that the marketing is directed more towards women. Although I do agree with nokudzu above me. Baby stuff has also been marketed to dads more in the past years.
It is annoying, and I think it is outdated. That's life, though, and I think you have a good point that women have to deal with male-focused advertising in many other venues of life.
I tune out the advertising, but where it really irritates me is in all the "mom" (as opposed to "parents") groups. I know many, if not most, are for moms, but given that most (well, among my friends, anyway) expect our husbands to be equally involved as parents it would be nice to have the marketers and general society recognize that, too. Marketers take notice: I might be the exception, but at least some of us mothers would prefer that you market to both parents, even if the mother is the one doing the decision making/buying.
Of course I don't expect (or want) marketers to start advertising certain things to both parents; things like breast pumps, etc., are obviously pure-mother.
Anyway, get used to it. Everything is oriented to the mothers, and often there is also one specific type of mother. I suppose some of it is supposed to make you feel that you will live up to the wonder-parent image if you buy their product, but it's even more irritating when you're happy being the kind of parent you are and don't want to buy into the one-mom-fits-all vision of modern American mothers. I don't find it offensive, but it is annoying.
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