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Original poster

'Let Toys Be Toys' Organising Thread - Part 2

458 replies

OneHandWavingFree · 02/12/2012 12:43

"Let Toys Be Toys - For Girls, and Boys" is a campaign started by a group of Mumsnetters, to convince retailers to categorise their toys by theme or function, rather than gender.

We're inviting everyone to 'like' us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@LetToysBeToys) and join us right here for discussion and collaborative decision-making about the next steps of our campaign.

Himalaya has been hard at work compiling the information gathered by our fantastic LTBT Mystery Shoppers, and we will be agreeing right here how the surveys will be ranked, which retailers we will be targetting with our message, and how we will go about it.

If you think that girls and boys should feel free to play with whatever toys that interest them most, and that they shouldn't walk into a toy store and feel pressurised to conform into archaic gender roles and stifling stereotypes, please join in the discussion!

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ConsiderCasey · 04/12/2012 20:04

On a bit of a tangent - this campaign has already made a (small) impact in my house - DS and I were discussing the campaign and he confessed that he has always wanted a dolls house but has always been too embarrassed to ask for one because he thought they were just for girls ....

Needless to say, I now have one hidden under the bed .. Smile

Original poster
OneHandWavingFree · 04/12/2012 20:00

Newsworthy I think that as we are not a Mumsnet campaign, you hopefully won't have to justify or answer for Mumsnet in the interview - you could say 'yes, perhaps it is, and that's a point that gets debated among users of the site quite a lot. But again, this is not a Mumsnet campaign, nor is it about Mumsnet. it's about the messages that retailers send to impressionable children about which roles are suitable for them, as boys or girls.'

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ConsiderCasey · 04/12/2012 19:59

Newsworthy, if anyone asks that I would point out that Mumsnet has a large male following. But unless we've had word from MNHQ I would stress that this isn't a Mumsnet campaign, just one that was started by concerned parents..

TheJoyfulChristmasJumper · 04/12/2012 19:46

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TheJoyfulChristmasJumper · 04/12/2012 19:38

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Newsworthy · 04/12/2012 19:31

Ok..... I'm on the train to Manchester to do the interview tomorrow. (i have name changed for this, as I don't want to out myself too far on MN).

Funnily enough when I was talking to Jasmine the journalist about this being a group of parents mums who met on Mumsnet, she said "Netmums?" And I went "nooooo!" Grin

One tricky question we may get is "isn't Mumsnet a bit sexist?"

Any answers for that?

TheJoyfulChristmasJumper · 04/12/2012 19:25

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Newsworthy · 04/12/2012 19:25

Testing

ConsiderCasey · 04/12/2012 19:14

It's a bit worrying that MNHQ haven't responded. I suppose we have to make sure it's not a mumsnet campaign but one that started here.

ConsiderCasey · 04/12/2012 19:12

It would be great if we had a bit of a twitter storm at 7.40 tomorrow sending messages of agreement to BBC breakfast.

5madthings · 04/12/2012 19:05

Maybe we can message mnhq even if its just by reporting the thread to point them in tbis direction? also would be good if they shared the campaign on fb and twitter.

AndIfATenTonTruck · 04/12/2012 18:57

Have we had any response from MNHQ about this? Just in case bbc brekkie ask how the campaign started, wouldn't wish to take the mumsnet brand out of its comfort zone. Although I would be baffled if they didn't align, given their let girls be girls and pink stinks collaborations.

Typing one handed pinned to sofa by exhausted DS btw

AndIfATenTonTruck · 04/12/2012 18:54

I'm on the edge of London/Watford and happy to be on the media team but I work ft office hours.

Happy for you to use any of my pics on fb (pm me to triangulate who I am irl!)

WomanlyWoman · 04/12/2012 18:54

This is the thing, people seem think it's about trying to dictate choice but actually we're trying to widen the choices, not limit them. It's about freedom.

TheJoyfulChristmasJumper · 04/12/2012 18:51

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LadyKinbote · 04/12/2012 18:48

I think something along the lines of "yes it's lovely to see a little girl wearing pink and playing with dolls, but if she also likes trains or her brother wants a go with the dolls, then that's fine too! It's simply a case of letting children choose what they want in the shop and not feel anything's off-limits."

feelathome · 04/12/2012 18:47

I'm happy to be a point of contact for my local press/radio in south Hampshire, but not to actually be on tv or radio. I can send press releases etc and help writing them if its needed.

5madthings · 04/12/2012 18:44

Yes we need to get across the idea that we are not anti-pink ir anti.or pro any colour or toy but that we want them marketed in a way that isnt gender specific. Pink is fine and not just for girls.

Original poster
OneHandWavingFree · 04/12/2012 18:40

Yes I think it's much more likely that we'll be asked "what's wrong with pink and princesses for girls?" as opposed to "what's wrong with boys playing with cars?".

And I think that might be a challenge, not to get drawn into a general discussion on pinkification, the whole princess thing, etc., because while those are related concerns, they are not the focus of this particular campaign and we don't want our message to be lost in a to-and-fro about whether it's okay for girls to want to be princesses.

The emphasis for us needs to remain on the implicit (by colour coding etc) and explicit (by bloody great signs saying "FOR BOYS") ways in which retailers take it upon themselves to decide which toys are acceptable for our sons and daughters to play with.

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LadyKinbote · 04/12/2012 18:38

Thisis you're right, parents sounds better. Less militant feminist and conversely also less twee!

TheJoyfulChristmasJumper · 04/12/2012 18:33

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ConsiderCasey · 04/12/2012 18:28

I'm sure that one of the questions will be accusing our campaign of being overly PC and not recognising the natural differences in boys and girls.

Also, another would be that we are trying to force boys into playing with dolls which of course it's not about.

Thisisaeuphemism · 04/12/2012 18:23

Lady K, I guess 'parents online' would be better than Mums?

When the media release is ready, we can send it out to areas where campaigners are, so for example, Radio Norwich? or West Sussex? so we can really give the impression of being a really nationwide campaign.

We would need a kind of crib sheet of things likely to be asked and best wording. I imagine, we'll learn a lot from tomorrow's show...

Lemonsole · 04/12/2012 18:18

I've uploaded a pic of my DS (6) pushing his favourite Silver Cross dolls' pram. He has short hair and definitely looks very boyish. He's also at school - and beyond the point at which many find it acceptable (hmphhh) for boys to push pushchairs.

LadyKinbote · 04/12/2012 18:17

I love all the Facebook photos! feelathome I was just thinking some older children would be good too!
Another thought - do we need to avoid mentioning Mumsnet seeing as it's not an official campaign? Are we just "a group of mums who met online"? I'm assuming we're all mums?

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