The question to the subject title is: because their parents made them. Same with why young boys tend to lean towards blue, red or green. It's because most people, even those that are not parents, have these preconceived notions embedded in their brains by society that girls should like pink and boys should like blue. Also, girls should play with dolls and boys should play with toy trucks. A generalization? Yes, but it is mostly true. In fact, I wrote about this on Re:Generator Magazine* based on an article posted on the UK's Telegraph news website. The opening two sentences of the article sums it up pretty nicely:
Experts have claimed that the so-called "pink plague" on the High Street is brainwashing girls and reinforcing gender stereotypes.
They claim that girls are already becoming "hooked" on the colour before the age of three and soon reject toys and clothes if they are not pink.
This doesn't help my gender growing up when some girls grow out of the pink craze and choose to pursue things that are not considered feminine. Boys will make fun of a girl who wants to play a masculine sport, or even if she wear jeans instead of shorts, skirts or dresses. I know, it's happened to me.
I grew up enthralled with the colour pink, kittens, and puppies thanks to my mom before she disappeared for several years. After she was gone the only woman I had to look up to was my grandmother before my dad moved my brother and I to Oregon. I grew out of the pink phase and became someone completely different (thank the gods).
Borrowing from my own article (source below):
People have tried to argue with me that girls are “supposed” to like pink, but what the hell does that mean? Does that mean boys are supposed to like blue, football, and Van Halen? Or that only nerds or geeks are supposed to play video games? No, it doesn’t. No one is supposed to like anything that’s only based on their gender or whatever label society gives them.
In closing: stereotypes may be sometimes true but they are mostly bullshit. Girls do not always like pink and playing with dolls, and boys do not all want to play catch and collect insects. The more that society can accept this fact the easier it will be for girls- and women- to feel more comfortable being interested in what actually interests them because they enjoy it, and not because others expect them to.
*http://regeneratormag.com/the-advocation-that-pink-is-not-always-a-choice/
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