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Update: Since I wrote this post, Walmart has apparently changed their diaper design to something more neutral, which I haven’t seen yet. My store still had the older diapers last time I restocked, otherwise I would have posted a picture of the new version. I applaud Walmart for listening to their customers and making the change.
Mr. Boy has been potty trained since 23 months, but we still rely on diapers during naptime and overnight until he gains more control over his bladder. I had wasted money on a couple boxes of training pants before I realized that it doesn’t matter whether or not he can pull them off by himself if he’s asleep. So, not only did I switch back to diapers, but I also switched to store brand diapers. I loved Pampers while Mr. Boy was still in diapers, and there are notable differences between store brand diapers and the brand names, but at this point in time the generic diapers work just fine. They are much cheaper, so I save a lot of money.
Today it was time to restock our diaper supply, so I headed to Walmart to get another box of Parent’s Choice diapers. They have worked well for us. I noticed the box design had changed, but didn’t think much of it. Packaging changes all the time. But when I opened up the box and saw the diapers through the plastic packaging, I thought I had made a mistake. I saw what looked like pink…and lots of hearts.
Well, the diapers aren’t exactly pink. More like a peachy coral color. But combined with the new graphic design consisting of tiny hearts sprinkled all over the diaper, they are decidedly girly. I assumed I had accidentally picked up a “girl” box, although I wasn’t aware that they made gender specific diapers. Parenting fail, I thought. Here I was stuck with 70 girly diapers that my son would have to wear for over a month.
However, I checked the box and there is no indication that these diapers are intended for a girl. I can’t tell if the baby on the box is a boy or a girl. So, I can only assume that this new design is supposed to be gender neutral.
Fail.
Yes, I know that diapers are just something for my baby to poop and pee on and then they get thrown out. These “new and improved” diapers are crafted much better than the older Parent’s Choice diapers–the exterior is softer, the stretchy parts stretchier, and the velcro seems to be better. But I have a huge problem with outfitting my little boy, who is rapidly developing his own opinions and sense of style, in little pinkish love hearts. I am astounded that this diaper design made it through the approval process and onto store shelves.
Why don’t diaper manufacturers save us all some money by sacking the graphic designers, skipping the character licenses and just giving us plain white diapers for our babies’ bums?
26 Responses - add one
I don’t care if they are just for peeing in, I will not allow my boys to use these diapers anymore! I have used them for 3 years! But since this new design, I have switched. What kind of morons they must have working on designs! When I tried to contact them for a refund on the diapers I had already bought they would not respond.. It has been a month now. Oh well.
Glad to know I’m not the only one who objects to this new design! I still can’t believe it.
OMG!! I was the same way. We picked up size 4 last night and when I opened up the box the diapers were PURPLE. Definately not a boy color. Well…we are gonna have to use these diapers now until they are gone. Why cant we go back to the WHITE diapers that are not gender specific in color and design??
I totally agree Debbie! I bet white diapers would be cheaper, too!
I have called the company and complained and so has my mother. I have quit using Parent’s Choice all together and refuse to use them again until they change the colors for 5′s and 6′s. When my mother called, the representative tried to argue with her that the 5′s were blue. I’m thinking the reps don’t have a lot of information and have NEVER been this dissatisfied with their customer service in the past. This is ridiculous to have the two biggest sizes ‘girlie’ colors. For one, girls typically potty train faster and earlier than boys. Grrr So frustrated, I have been waiting for months now and the wait continues…
This post has been getting a lot of traffic. Hopefully they will eventually realize how dissatisfied people are and make a change.
I just picked a box of six 5s today and they have changed the design to a more gender neutral design. The curly que hearts all gone altogether. They have a double row of stripes around the leg that is blue and cartoon characters on the waistband. The outside box still features the old orange hearts design. At first I thought it was a packaging mistake until I opened them up and realized the design was not just different colored hearts. It’s the same diaper now, but the sissy design is gone. I’m so glad. I hated putting those orange heart diapers on my boys. A couple of boxes I purchased two weeks ago still had the hearts all over them. I’m thinking word has finally gotten back to them about this ridiculous design and they decided to change it. Thank Goodness.
Thanks so much for letting us know, Sonya! I need to buy more diapers soon, and I’m glad that the girly design is gone. I’ll have to do an update to this post once I get the new diapers.
I use parent choice diapers for my son and he is in a size 5 and they still have the orange heart desing on them.. Unfortenitly i have to keep using them cause they are the cheep so being a single mother they help me alot and im excpecting my second baby in a few months.. but ive been noticing that my sons been breaking out alot more from them..
Thanks! I was not purchasing any thing Parent’s Choice until they did some thing about my complaint to the company regarding those designs. Now, my son is no longer a size 5, but a size 6. Feeling glad about the prospect of paying a dollar or two less for diapers, not putting up with the Luvs smell, and not having my son in heart diapers. Just in time for Valentine’s Day. haha
Hearts symbolize love. How are they masculine or feminine? I can’t believe in 2011 mothers are still so concerned with gender stereotypes and gender specific design. I think you are all nuts. The new design that they replaced the hearts with is ugly and the quality of the diaper is now worse. I can’t believe I’m the only one who thinks all you moms are crazy. I thought for sure, there would be a voice of reason in the comments section. To call them sissy diapers is such a horrible reinforcement of outdated 1950s gender roles. I hope you realize that statistically, one of you (at least) will have a homosexual son. I’m sure with your antiquated theories, you will blame it on the pansy diapers you accidentally purchased him in his infancy….
Gender differences are a reality, not an outdated stereotype. Those differences transcend sexual orientation much more often than Hollywood, the supposed beacon of tolerance and acceptance, portrays in their sitcoms and movies that exploit the worst gay stereotypes for the sake of laughs. I know plenty of confident gay men who enjoy their masculinity and wouldn’t be caught dead parading around in pink hearts. Are they intolerant and old-fashioned like me?
Male and female differences enrich our society, and I will not feel guilty about choosing to dress my son “like a boy”. I resent your suggestion that I would do anything less than love and accept my son if he turned out to be gay. I have not blinked an eye when he has declared that pink or purple is his favorite color. I also know that his preference for toy cars over dolls isn’t a guarantee that he’s heterosexual. I don’t worry that my child is gay. I want him to be himself.
My son is only two, but like most toddlers he already has his own specific ideas and preferences. He knows that he is a boy, and he wants to be like his daddy, who is also a boy. He would be embarrassed to wear something that he associates with girls. I refuse to use my son to rebel against mainstream society, and I sure as hell won’t allow some corporation to do so.
It’s unfortunate that someone in such desperate search for a “voice of reason” couldn’t make a better attempt at being one herself.
Thank goodness! YOU are the voice of reason. I happen to totally and completely agree with you! Kids identify with what WE (the indfluential adults in their lives) teach them. The two year olds only care as much as their parents are shoving gender identity it in their face. I personally don’t care whether or not my son poops in a “pink” or coral colored diaper… or if the waste band has chickens and butterfiles on a green and teal background… they are all ending up in the same place. Thanks for posting because I, like you, was searching for some sanity amongst all the other postings.
Exactly right! This is why society is horrible and why so many things are negative. I can’t believe you are complaining about a HEART. Get over it. If your kids are embarrased to wear a heart, it is probably because you put that thought into his head. Let the children decide for themselves and quit sheltering them by making everything negative.
You are EXACTLY right!!! I loved the design! And I have twin boys! They were so cute, everyone would comment how sweet they were
Hearts dont means crap! I Hate the new design, its just plain ugly! Im just glad I got a great stockpile of the cute design and I hope they go back to using that design before I run out. All of you are too worried about their sons being womanly in peach colored diapers with hearts on them but ladies… If theyre going to be womanly is not going to be from something they dont remember! And if your child can remember then they were in diapers too long!
Modern thinking calls us biased and stereotypical for prefering our boys to grow up with masculine influences. I am therefore biased and stereotypical, because I am not encouraging my son to be gay. The rest of the world is just going to have to deal with that because I do not intend to change my views on the matter.
I have since started getting Huggies diapers shipped to me through Amazon.com once a month. The end up being a penny less per diaper with the subscription discount through Amazon mom. I am not even going to dignify Lily with a reply.
Thank you for checking back in, Cassie, and I apologize for the rude commenter!
*they
WOW. I still don’t get how supportive we have to be to the gay community but they can bash us all they want too for being straight. I am a christian woman and I think ALL people should be shown the love of Christ no matter what their choices may be, we ALL deserve that amount of respect. That comment shows clearly that she wants respect BUT obviously gives none in return. In this world we live in it is do what makes you happy- no matter the cost, at some point we will have to take a good look at our choices and reevaluate the way we live. As a mother of 2 boys I would like to have grandchildren some day and I Will NOT teach him that wearing pink hearts is a normal thing to do.. I WILL however teach them kindness to those who do chose that life, that way when he meets someone as close minded as the rude commenter, he will know what to say.
Ugh… I just e-mailed walmart because the new design is so UGLY… they now look like cheap old store brand diapers. I loved the hearts and used them proudly on my son! I hate the new design!
I just would like to throw in my two cents here… they color coded each size, and yes they have changed the designs to smiley faces and stuff now which is better than hearts and I understand where you are coming from on this because I have a boy myself, but most of the colors they picked are close enough to another color they could be for either one, and the purple does look almost blue.. and as for the hearts I believe it was the design picked because that is the symbol for parents choice brand.. I use the size 4 diapers and they are green, so I can say most are neutral colors.. and sarah, I love your comment I did the same lol
and about the gay comment.. I know a lot of VERY straight men who will proudly wear pink and anymore it is a very normal thing for men to do, believe it or not 
thanks for your time whoever reads this
Does anyone care that your complaining now has my little girl in boy colors???? Of course not its a freaking diapers put some pants over it and quit whining like your in diapers…..
I don’t believe that my complaining caused a large corporation to change their diaper design, but thanks. I’m flattered.
The new design is HORRIBLE! So thank you you judgmental bored mothers with nothing to do expect complain about Diapers!! Seriously? Diapers? Why dont you take your idiotic complaints to the White House about the economy? Or the war? Lily is one of the Few commenters with sense! You all seem to be so worried about your sons being gay but guess what, They are going to Gay whether you like it or not, No matter the diaper, the clothes, to what you let them watch on tv is going to change their sexual views! I cant believe you all dont understand that! And So What if your son becomes gay? Are you going to love him less? The main point is that they cant remember what kind of diapers they wore and if they can then you are keeping them in diapers too long! You. People. Make. No. Sense!
You apparently have nothing better to do than complain about others’ complaints about diapers. Twice.