“Beige” mothers on the Web are called women who try to surround their children with toys, clothes, furniture and other objects of discreet tones. Critics of this approach are sure that the lack of bright colors in the baby’s life will adversely affect his intellectual development. We checked whether such fears are confirmed by scientific data.

At the end of 2024 on the Life.ru portal I went out The material under the heading “Life.ru found out what danger the“ beige ”mothers are hung up and why they are dangerous for their own children.” Its authors with reference to a child psychologist Daria Dugenzova claim: “If the child has everything around - the interior, toys, clothes - is aimed at calm shades, then, unfortunately, we can talk about a possible misunderstanding and incorrect laying of the color scheme.” A similar point of view in January 2025 in a commentary for the Moscow Komsomolets expressed Psychologist Valentina Serova: “color perception affects the emotional development and development of imagination. In a plain beige room, it is difficult to explain that the sun is yellow, the sky is blue, the leaves are green. For this reason, the child has stress on the street. ” “A beige environment can form an unemotional child with low self -esteem and fears. Living in the color world is much more joyful ” - Reasoned In March 2025, in a conversation with “arguments and facts”, psychologist Larisa Okulik.

Some Russian healthcare institutions occupy similar positions. For example, the Kurgan Regional Perinatal Center on its VKontakte page Published The such warning: “The abundance of pastel tones can negatively affect the development of the baby: the development of the brain, emotional development and imagination, because the variety of shades stimulates creative activity, helps to form associative ranks.” Moreover, some thematic publications (for example, "Chalk") In their analysis on the topic, they avoid sharp assessments about the dangers of" beige "motherhood.

Countsthat the aesthetics of "beige" motherhood Grown From minimalism and the Scandinavian style in interior design - both concepts avoid bright colors and visual noise. The authors of some architectural magazines explain that the interiors in neutral colors were especially to the liking of millennials - for example, the star of social networks Kim Kardashian With millions of subscribers who actively shares pictures from his gray-beige house. The trend was supported by her half -sister, blogger Kylie Jenner. In 2022, she posted on YouTube a video about preparing for the birth of her son, where she showed his room, decorated In different shades of beige. The video scored more than 31 million views.

In relevant publications, even come out Articles about a millennial gray - a special shade that They prefer In the interior, representatives of this generation. Some associate this trend with the fact that the interiors in gray or beige tones are more adaptive to color decor elements that can often be changed for little money, others - on the contrary, with the ability of gray furniture to fit into almost any interior (which is especially convenient with frequent crossings), and the third - with fatigue of millennial paints in the homes of their parents. It is believed that a significant part of the modern “beige” mothers are just representatives of this generation who had previously realized their design preferences in the interiors of studio apartments, and now they have transferred them to children's ones.

“Beige” mothers not only arrange in certain tones of the rooms where their children live, but also select clothes and toys of pastel colors for their children. They are such an approach Explain Both aesthetic considerations and the desire to educate the child with a good taste and protect him from gender stereotypes about colors (for example, that girls should dress in pink and boys in blue). However, the “beige” motherhood has not only a visual component - adhering to such an ideology, women avoid giving children too loud toys, believing that they have too much affect the still non -blessed psyche of the child.

Before proceeding to the analysis of existing studies on this topic, it is worth considering: no matter how the “beige” mother tried to completely protect the baby from bright colors and loud sounds, she is unlikely to achieve this. Even if the interior of the nursery and the toys are designed in a certain color scheme, both at home and on the street will be objects whose shade parents are not able to change. So, products, Recommended For the first feeding (even in the perfectly verified interior), - green broccoli and orange carrots. On the walk, the baby will not be able to protect from dressed not only in gray and beige people, leaves on trees, cars, shops of shops, advertising posters, etc. Therefore, to say that the life of a child’s “beige” mother is completely devoid of colors, nevertheless, incorrectly.

Still in the womb fruit Starts Distinguish between light and darkness, and immediately after birth, the baby sees black and white colors well. This does not mean that the vision of newborns is completely black and white, but it is the contrast between these two colors that attracts their attention especially. Babies see all the colors more muted than adults, but with the development of the brain they begin to distinguish more and more bright shades. In parallel, the ability to focus the look is formed and visual acuity appears, that is, the ability to see objects at a distance. In the first month of life sees Only objects larger than 10 cm in diameter, which are at a distance of not more than 40 cm from it right in front of his eyes (peripheral vision will be formed later).

The development of color perception in children from birth to six months. Source

Based on the scientists at the disposal of the formation of children's vision during the first year of life, Okolistani Romesh Angunavel together with Clinic Compare Created An animized image showing how the visual abilities of babies are changing. As can be seen from this example, at least up to six months the child and so sees the world in the pastel gamut, whether his mother wants it or not.

Against this background, researchers give different recommendations on how to arrange a children's room. Some recall that the first colors that the child distinguishes well is black and white, and even Consult Equip the interior in such an unusual style. Other contrasting combinations are also offered: for example, pale yellow with saturated purple, gray with bright yellow or blue-green with coral. Pediatrician Lisa Diard in the commentary for the authoritative clinic Cleveland explainsthat the interior in pastel colors (and even completely beige) will not hurt the child at least. “Vision develops in contact with any visual stimulus. The baby does not have to see all the possible colors of the house. The interior design does not affect the development of your child, ”the expert says, emphasizing that children are much more important to see different expressions of the faces of their parents. With the last thesis, Diard also agrees with other specialists. Trisha Skler, professor of psychology of the city University of New York, NotesThe infants are primarily useful for infants, but it can be achieved not only thanks to the color scheme, but also through interaction with objects of different textures and temperatures. He does not see any problems in the aesthetics of “beige” motherhood and Jennifer Poon, a professor of pediatrics at the American University of Ogasta.

Although the children of “beige” mothers have not yet studied the specialists in education and pedagogy, some experiments show that in a multi -colored environment, for example, it is more difficult to concentrate. In 2016, Israeli scientists Offered Children aged three or four years to put a puzzle, play a children's lotto and assemble a designer on a white surface and on decorated drawings. In the first case, children were less likely to be distracted and, accordingly, coped faster. Moreover, in such conditions, they complained less about eye fatigue and less often threw the game. The conclusions of scientists indirectly indicate that the philosophy of "beige" mothers at least does not harm the mental development of their children.

In 2014, scientists from the University of Carnegie - Mellon (USA) Spent Research with children a little older, attending the preparatory group of kindergarten. They had to study a new topic, and three lessons on it were held in a regular class decorated with various posters and pictures, while the other three were in class with bare walls. Subsequently, children were waiting for testing on the material passed. It turned out that questions on topics passed in the class without posters were given 55% of the correct answers, and only 42% in decorated. Scientists concluded that the visual noise, which the “beige” mothers are trying to avoid so, really interferes with the concentration of the child.

Alice Skeleton, researcher at the British University of the University of Sussex and a specialist in color perception of infants, Summarizes: Although regular stay in beige tones of the children's room will not bring any harm to the child, the interior with contrasting details can captivate his attention for a while, giving parents a good opportunity to relax. However, if the mother is the most comfortable be surrounded by neutral shades, she will feel calmer, which cannot but be useful for the baby. Babies are easy Read maternal emotions. Moreover, the study of the University of California at San Francisco shows that they share the intensity of maternal stress-the more depressed or tensed, the more the heart rate increases, which indicates similar experiences. Therefore, if the mother will experience the same sensations in too bright children.

Dr. Lisa Diard sums up in a dispute between “beige” mothers and their opponents: the key to good education of children is not a color palette of a child or clothing, but love and care from adults. It turns out that if parents provide him with emotional support and sufficient interaction with the outside world, then the interior of his room can be anything. Moreover, for children with sensory features, increased sensitivity or anxiety, “beige” motherhood may even be justified.

Thus, the popular trend for “beige” motherhood, contrary to warnings, does not carry any danger. Firstly, the children will also encounter different colors, no matter what shade the walls of their rooms are painted. Secondly, there is no data that in the mental or physical development of the baby something will go wrong if he does not get acquainted with one or another color at a certain age. Thirdly, as the results of the research show, in the interior designed in pastel colors without distracting elements, children success and know the world more successfully. And if neutral shades and the lack of toys with loud sounds help the mother be calmer, this will positively affect the health of the baby.

Image on the cover: Stock Cake