Beige maternité

Have you heard of “sad beige parenting”? Or maybe about “sad beige children”? Like many other trending topics, this one also originated on social media. The story begins with a creator on TikTok, Hayley DeRoche.

DeRoche has noticed that advertisements for eco-friendly children’s products are increasingly taking on absurd forms — in part because neutral tones and muted colors have become the current aesthetic. The more expensive the product, the more primitive the advertisement looks.

In his hilarious videos, DeRoche uses the voice of renowned director Werner Herzog, commenting on these children’s clothes, toys, and decorations as part of his collection of “sad beige clothes for sad beige children”

The videos are hilarious, but they also pose an interesting question: Does the lack of color – or a small amount of it – affect children’s development? Does sad beige parenting really create… sad beige children? The answer is no.

Why is “beige motherhood” so controversial?

The clash of aesthetics with the reality of parenthood, full of colorful toys and random outbursts of chaos, makes “beige mom” gain an almost comical dimension in the eyes of some parents. Every parent must find a balance between their aesthetic needs and the daily chaos that life with a small child brings.

Does beige parenting hurt kids?

No, beige parenting won’t hurt your baby, cause delays in their visual development, stunt their creativity, or make their lives less joyful.

All over the world, parents are raising children in different color palettes and raising wonderful children.

In fact, the sad beige parenting debate isn’t about colors at all. It’s part of a broader cultural conversation about what it means to be a good parent.

The rise in popularity of beige and other neutral shades is the result of several different factors. Pop culture is one of the most important. Many people believe that the sad beige trend has been started by celebrities and influencers who choose a neutral background for recording videos.

It’s no surprise that the aesthetics of these influencers have influenced broader design trends. Today, the minimalist house filled with taupe tones and natural materials has become a status symbol. For some people, a neutral color palette means wealth and good taste.

It may sound strange, but this raw design scheme has also become a symbol of a kind of freedom.

Being a parent involves many sacrifices. Stimulus overload is actually a lifestyle. Many beige parents describe their aesthetic as a form of self-care — a way to maintain their identity and create a calm, relaxing environment. Yes, many things in life change, but their decoration does not have to!

Having a personal aesthetic is innocent – it’s something that a parent doesn’t necessarily have to give up, especially in the first years of raising a child. Think of all the colors your baby encounters when you take them for a walk in the stroller. Think about your favorite time dedicated to sensory play. Even the saddest beige child grows up in a colorful world.

Do children need color?

When babies are born, they do so with their eyes closed or partially closed. Children are very sensitive to light. When they start to open their eyes, they mainly see objects in their peripheral vision. As their retina develops and their pupils dilate, they gain central vision and, eventually, the ability to track objects with their eyes.

So how do colors affect this process?

Newborns can perceive different intensities, they can distinguish light from dark, but they do not yet distinguish colors. This ability usually develops after four months.

By the time your little one reaches that four-month milestone and begins to understand colors, research suggests that they respond most to contrast. This can mean primary colors, but it can also be black and white – or yes, black and beige as well. The choice of color itself does not matter much, what matters is the difference between the colors that attracts the child’s attention.

Vision develops with any type of visual stimulus. Home décor has no impact on the development of a child’s eyesight. And it doesn’t tell you whether you’re a happy parent, a sad parent, a good parent, or a bad parent.

In fact, when it comes to preferences – children’s favorite type of visual stimuli has nothing to do with color: Children love faces, especially yours. Toddlers also tend to be more interested (and stimulated) in objects that are close but not too close. The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that the ideal distance is about 3 feet (about 1 meter).

After all, what colors you choose in your home is not that important. What matters is that you love and care for your child.