Why do parents tend to prefer blue eyes and blond hair?

Question

I have noticed that many new moms/parents make comments like "will my baby's eyes stay blue" and "I was so mad when they turned brown", etc... Why does it matter people? I find it strange that in this day and age that this preference for a certain hair and eye color exist. Do you think we are just victims of brainwashing from tv and magazines or is it something deeper?

Just curious...my baby has light brown hair and blue-green eyes. Regardless, I would be happy whatever color they were, just as long as he's healthy! =)

Answer 1

As a parent,  I have no preference. I have a dark haired, hazel-eyed daughter and a blond-haired, blue-eyed son and I think they are both beautiful. I was grateful they were both healthy.

Maybe some parents seem to prefer blond hair and blue eyes because it is more unusual? Or you could be right, maybe they are brainwashed by tv and magazines. I do think it is getting better, at least you see many more stars, and dolls, and models from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. When I was little, every doll and Disney princess and fashion model was blond.

Your baby sounds adorable. Just think, you'll raise him to think a variety of people are beautiful and there will be a little less of that kind of silliness in the world! :)

Answer 2

Oh, because the blue eyed blond hair baby is so adorable!!  I don't know why.  Maybe because those people are portrayed (in tv, media, the public) as beautiful?? My daughter turned out this way, but my other has hazel eyes and brown hair like me.  Of course I love them no matter what color eyes and hair they have.

Answer 3

I have no idea, I am not like that at all.  My daughter has blonde hair and she eyes are sowly turning a greenish brown color.  My son was born also with blue eyes and blonde hair--actually I was hoping he would have daark brown hair and dark brown eyes so at least one of my kids would look like me.  I guess I am not the "norm".

Answer 4

I'm with you. Maybe those parents want their children to look like them, or someone they love. Could be they are just shallow and have their priorities screwed up. Unfortunately, that is likely the case in many circumstances.

Answer 5

Wow, hot topic!  I personally couldn't care what colour my children's hair and eyes are...my son has strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes.  I do love his blue eyes but because they remind me of my husband's and I've always thought he has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.  But I would never say I was mad if my son's changed (and his hair sure has changed...it was dark brown when he was born, then went red and now there's more blond in it)...that's just crazy!  Some people are beyond superficial and looks mean a lot to them.  Probably the same kind of shallow people that would put their kids in modelling or beauty pageants...

Answer 6

I was born with a full head of blond hair..and it gets darker the older i get.  it's almost black at the moment.  My parents were quite freaked out by my blond hair though, because both of them have dark hair..LoL

Answer 7

I don't know.... there is a lot of blonde hair, blue eyes.... My hair is dirty blonde and brown eyes..... I wish my eyes were the color of your daughters, or a piercing deep-ish blue!

=)s

Answer 8

thats true...but my parents were never concerned, and when i was born my eyes were gray and know they're light-brown..and my hair is dark brown...i don't think blue eyes and blonde hair is the best anyway....whatever looks good or however healthy the baby is..

Answer 9

Many parents say this?  Really?  I can't say I've ever heard anyone say that.

Given that both hubby and I have brown hair and brown eyes, (though we both do have recessive 'blue' genes in our makeup)  I would have been VERY surprised if our daughter ended up blonde and and quite suprised if she ended up  blue-eyed. (She has hazel eyes and light brown hair.)  

Answer 10

Dunno, I guess so many famous people have blond hair (even though most of them dye it). As for blue eyes, of course blue eyes are pretty, but so are brown. It's stupid for people to worry about hair and eye color.

Answer 11

Yeah, your rite. They shouldn't be concerned unless the baby's health is in question. Otherwise, who cares what color your fricken son/daughters hair or eyes are? People should not have preferences to how their own children will look.

Answer 12

Maybe they are n***s. That's what the superior race was supposed to have.

BTW I don't know of any black people who prefer their babies to have blue eyes and blond hair, or are disappointed when they don't.

Answer 13

AhillHokey,

It is a joy to be able to appreciate the beauty in everyone. There is beauty in variety.

Sounds like you're going to be a good Mom and accept your baby so he will grow up confident of who he is and what he looks like! The rest of the kids mentioned by your acquantences and posters here who are "lucky" to be a physical type are going to struggle because they may have hit it lucky there, but if are issues around physical appearance then likely there are other deeper issues of self-hatred and non-acceptance in areas other than eye and hair color as well. (facial features, height, weight, intellectual ability, physical ability, unique talents and abilities, etc).

In other words, there is always going to be *something* those kind of superficial people are not going to like or accept about themselves or others. It will never be enough, and the child will feel perpetually inadequate.

Yes, studies in the 1940's to try to determine the effects of segregation on black children showed non-White children prefering blond blue eyed dolls. This was ammunition to integrate the races and try to counteract such societal programming, but as you found out, sadly, supericiality and bigotry live on. Down with tv stereotypes of beauty. Enjoy the diversity of this beautiful world.  

The link below references the doll preference research and gives an update, which is not encouraging. Racism is alive and well, sorry to say. It's great if your question helps bring a little understanding at least in the YA corner of the world.

Answer 14

Wow...sorry to hear people say stuff like that. That's pitiful.

My baby looks like a spitting image of his father. Beautiful brown eyes and wonderful dark hair. I would have it no other way. BTW...i have blue eyes.

Answer 15

I don't know. I would be happy with any colour for my child. My bf has blue eyes and I have Hazel. I would like to think if we have children I would have one of each eye colour. But your right as long as they are healthy it doesn't matter. Besides I heard brown eyes are supposed to be the sexiest.

BTW Lysergic Surfer, Hitler made it up that the Aryan race had blonde hair and blue eyes. In actual fact the Aryan tribe were Asian. Stalin and Sadam Hussian were 2 descendants. Besides who says blonde haired blue eyed are prettier? They are just rarer.

Answer 16

This is news to me! But, if you are correct, maybe it is just the way babies are presented in the media. Blue is a more delicate color than brown, so maybe it is seen as softer and more baby-like.

Answer 17

it could be a number or reasons, maybe that's how the mom (or dad) looks and she wants them to resemble her or maybe that's just her personal preference. everyone varies, when i met my mother in law she was excited and told me she would get her brown eyed grandchild from me! she'd always wanted her children to have brown eyes but none did!

Answer 18

It's just the lingering eurocentric theory that the whiter someone is the better. It doesn't really matter to parents, but I think they sort of mentally project the "perfect" child as a lilly white blonde, blue eyed sort of kid, even if the parents are like itallian or whatever. I mean, this doesn't work for Asian or Latin people or anything, but you get the idea.

Answer 19

I am half Mexican and I have a dark complexion.  I was very startled when my second child was born with blue eyes and blond hair!  Our first baby is dark like me, but the second child is still fair like my husband.  I'm still in disbelief that I had such a fair baby.  I don't prefer one or the other, I'm just surprised.

I can't wait to see my third baby!

Answer 20

I think is so stupid and I'm glad you are of few who appreciate you baby for who they are.

I started out with gray eyes for about 2 years then as I got older I got light brown eyes.

My mom said she loved me the if my eyes turned purple.

It's just that I guess your child gets more compliment or you get more compliments if your child has the "eyes of america".

That is a very selfish move as a mother.

Answer 21

it's because their babies are getting older. or maybe they just like blue eyes. i have brown eyes, and brown hair. i dyed my hair black and i plan to get eye-color changing contacts.

Answer 22

You're obviously talking to some very shallow people.  If you're that shallow you're going to be easily influenced by the media.  

I hope that by 'something deeper' you're not refering to the n***s etc and the 'Superior Race'.  If you're trying to stir up trouble then you might just find it.

Answer 23

I also have blue eyes and blonde hair..They dont really care they just like the blue eyes then if they turn brown they just say oh why couldnt they have stayed brown they dont have anything against the child its just something you say  

Answer 24

I will be happy with whatever color my baby eyes and hair end up but I really wanted my son to look like his daddy. I have red hair and brown eyes and never liked either of them. I have very light skin and cant spend much time in the sun without burning. I think it would be much easier for my son if he had his fathers complexion which would most likely mean no red hair. How often do you see a tan red head? My husband has blond hair and blue eyes with tan skin. In the end I will just be happy that my baby is healthy.

Answer 25

to be perfectly honest i would love a baby that had black/ dark brown hair, olive skin tone and brown eyes...

they would be so beautiful :)

i think that nowadays people are so superficial and want what society makes them want... its stupid!

you should think your baby is the cutest in the world despite all that!

x

p.s. your baby sounds like they will grow up to be very gorgeous! congrats :)

x

EDIT:

i got a thumbs down for saying that i would like a dark hair and eyed child but would love it if it didnt? and that a child with brown hair and green eyes is pretty???

PROOF that their are shallow people put there who want superficial babies!

Answer 26

I was so happy to see our baby come out bald with dark black/brown eyes like his daddies...

I have black hair and green eyes and my husband has black hair and dark brown eyes so anything could've happened...we're so happy that he's just a chubby cutie pie...I think a mommie is a wierdo if she says she cares about eye color!!

Answer 27

i honestly could care less..my fiance has dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes, i have dark brown hair and hazel green eyes..so whichever one came out in the child i wouldnt care at all..i dont see the need to have such an aryan looking baby lol

Answer 28

Only in America can people be spoiled so rotten that they'd complain about the color of their childs eyes & hair. I say only here because I don't think there is another country as superficial as us. People would rather read magazines like US Weekly than read a book because that's just how the government likes it. The more we worry about things as pointless as the color of a person's eyes, the less we worry about real issues.  

Answer 29

I think you are making a very incorrect generalization of most parents.  Very very very few parents feel disappointed or mad when their children don't look a certain way.  And I mean VERY few.  The vast majority of parents simply want a happy and healthy baby.  I've never met anyone who preferred a certain eye color or hair color on their children.

Answer 30

That is an interesting question.  Blue eyed people are genetic freaks, after all.  The mutation that created blue eyes occured in a woman about 6,000 years ago.  Somehow, this female's offspring were so popular, that blue eyes spread across Europe, despite the fact that it is a recessive gene.

People, for whatever reason it is: love people with blue eyes.

Answer 31

Well, blue eyes are less common than brown eyes, and because it's less common it might be seen as being more special. But I do think you're making an over-generalization.

Also, I think it's less that those people don't want their kids to have brown eyes, per se, it's just that they get used to their baby having blue eyes and don't want to see them change. Everything about them changes so much because they're growing so fast, and I think it makes parents a little sad at times.