Let toys be toys - Foodbank wants to allocate Christmas gifts based on sex and age

When I contributed to these I usually picked items for "teenage boy" as being the demographic least likely to be picked by others.

I have replied with a second email to say I would be happy to buy him a coffee and continue the conversation to understand each other better, but no reply

Why should he reply?

You could have just picked items and marked them "suitable for boy or girl age[ ]"

You will also turn into a foodbank urban myth

You know you are the laughing stock of the foodbank now don't you ?least when they are sorting through boxes and toys referrals they will be wondering if it is gender neutral

I've been asked to do this for charity.

I deliberately chose to give something that could be given to either a girl or boy without problem.

It also helps in the event that they have too many of one and not enough of the other.

Bye!

. Again with the assertion without evidence. I am saying something grounded in both research of populations and the personal experience of many people posting on this thread as well as my own and that of many of my friends and family. After all this the best response that you come up with is to merely state I am an arrogant man who is "spouting shit". Somehow I feel this is more a reflection of you than me.

Now how do I delete this thread from the "I'm on" view so I don't have to reminded of your animosity to reason?

“Lord the arrogance of a man who calls himself “wise” and then spouts this shit.”

Totally stand by this

Hahaha ya wee dafty :D

@ Hersymphonyandsong. And you fail to provide evidence to refute my point in any way what so ever and resort to gender associated stereotyping. Do you do hypocrisy often?

Nothing wrong with books but kids have access to them at school and I can tell you for sure that for my kids they fall into the same sort of catergory as clothes as a present.

One of them is not very interested at all, the other has very specific tastes. Other than for very small children I would say chances of getting a book right are low, although annuals/Ripleys books probably ok

Its a pity the box cant be labelled with an age range, colour and theme.

What the fuck's wrong with a book, Almahart? Books are often expensive so difficult to buy when you are on your uppers, there's loads of fun ones suitable for every age (so you'd put the age on the box), and kids like them.

Difficult one, as a child I had all my brother's hand me down clothes and toys. I longed for dolls and pretty things so I would probably have considered a gender neutral toy quite boring!!!

I didn't imply that a girl would be happy with a pink saucepan set. it's about living in the world as it is vs how one would like it to be. When you're at the coalface, pragmatic choices come in. Now for us that would be guided towards donating gender neutral toys. But the charity will have the full gamut of toys to distribute and pragmatically a lot of young 7 year boys would be bemused by receiving such a heavily gendered present. Our contention should be further back in the supply chain/marketeers/educationalists etc, not with the children who have already had their taste in toys formed.

Don't put bloody books in fgs.

Just pick what you think looks FUN and they will jiggle it abou anyway

It would be an improvement for them to request labels with an age range (not single age) and marked “boy” “girl” or “either”.

I doubt that most 8 year old boys would be pleased if they received a very pink doll.

Honestly I reckon that most 8 year old girls would feel the same.

But not forcing a disadvantaged boy to be grateful for a pink saucepan set/whatever on christmas morning

Disadvantaged girl though, best she learns her place early.

Patronising shite.

I’m 100% behind let tots be tots on a marketing and selling level. However if my boy really wants a car I’m not going to force him to have a jewellery making kit instead just to subvert stereotypes.
If I was asked to buy for an unknown 6yr old that might be their own Christmas gift then knowing their sex does give a better chance of it being something they are pleased with even if their likes are shaped by society.

surely this is about making children happy. I doubt that most 8 year old boys would be pleased if they received a very pink doll.

You know what? When you are poor you still have dreams, political opinions, all those pesky things. Girls and boys living in poor families should still have the freedom to choose what they like rather than what stupid gender norms say they should like. It's not only possible to be a feminist when you are poor, it's very bloody likely.

Maybe the answer is just to put in books rather than toys.

You're taking the fight to the wrong people, that should be with the manufacturers and retailers. It's fair enough though to point out that there should be an option to choose and label as such gender neutral toys. But not forcing a disadvantaged boy to be grateful for a pink saucepan set/whatever on christmas morning. Questioning genderisation of toys happens further back in the supply chain.

@Alexkate2468
The OP has explained how she has tried to help them out but has been turned down