Smyths Toys Catalogue [angry]

[IsSamNormansDad]

I got my christmas catalogue thing through today (we dont live near one, but my mum does) and its the usual pink shit for girls etc.
What has really pissed me off is that there is a page (250-251) for 'boys games' and 'girls games' (board games) - on the boys side is: Connect 4, Spin Mania, Dino bite and a few others. On the girls side is: Minnie Fashion Mouse, Dream Phone, Twister Dance among other 'girly' ones - not including a connect 4.
WIBU to email them in disgust? Or has this made me irrationally

Begs the question which game do the dc play if there is one of each gender in the house? Tricky....

Yes, email them. Then burn their warehouse. DISCLAIMER: JOKE

Noticed this too. What a pile of shite. Also September is FAR TOO EARLY to be getting toy catalougues through the feckin door.

Yab a tad u. You can always order a game for your DD from the boy side. I think you'd be allowed to do that.

definitely email them.

In fact, post on feminism and get everyone to email them.

you might like this website which likes to campaign against gender stereotypes: www.pinkstinks.co.uk/

THey do it because it works. Not on the parents but on the children.

A girl will automatically go to the "girls" pages and write their list accordingly (if you are a list household, which we arent as I am a mean mummy!) and the boys will do the same.

Sadly, despite your emails and disgust, they will keep doing it as long as their marketing research shows that it works. {shrugs}

Have you noticed in the mn comps at the moment, you can win a Polly Pocket Wall Party "for your daughter".... shit, what if I win with only sons? Do I get disqualified?

Ah, what does it matter. If you don't like it, don't spend any money there. They don't give a fuck. They just want your hard earned cash. There are bigger, more worrying equality issues to deal with other than what section connect 4 goes into the Smyths catalogue. Honestly? E-mail them, fill your boots with indignation.

Yabu

At least the section is labelled "girls toys"
Argos have a pink section. I saw some storage boxes in their window once but couldn't find them in the catalogue. When I asked for help in finding the catalogue number I was told "oh, they're pink, they'll be in the pink section" and indeed they were, along with hair dryers, tool kits, vacuum cleaners, etc.
Why decides to buy a Hoover and looks under fucking pink in the index?

I would disagree that September is too early. Most families need to spread the cost of Christmas over a period of time, and for anyone paid monthly there are only 3 more paydays before Christmas.

There are chocolate advent calendars in Tesco....

How Very Dare They!

I too got the catalogue and am also angry (not about that, i don't really give a crap about that kind of thing!) just annoyed that I now have 2 a4 sheets of paper with the kids Christmas list on.

Seems the starred items are the ones they really want ..... Oh look they've all got bloody stars!

YABU for letting the kids get their paws on the catalogue there though! lol!

I agree with Squeaky about the timing. The only reason I am not starting my shopping now is that I have seperate bank account that I have been puttting money in all year which will have hit my target on November payday. Every other year my shopping has been spread over time from August onwards as I couldnt afford to do it any other way.

TBH, DD is only 18m, so most likely would eat the pieces. DS is 4.6, and doesn't seem to give a shiny shit about the colours of things.
I'm struggling against the tide of pink really. DD doesn't like 'girl' toys, she's far happier in her digger digging up the garden or racing toy cars. I just know that come Xmas, she'll get a heap of 'girl' stuff. I love that we have great family & friends that think of our kids, but they do seem to think that toys must be gender specific. Yes DM and DMIL, I'm looking at you both!

I meant to burn hide it, but forgot

YANBU. I'll write to them too, I fucking hate that shit. Got an address?

Aspie

Ditch the lists. Seriously. Its what saved my sanity!

As a big family we have always been on a budget, so an A4 list per child is not doable anyway, but I realised that there was no surprises on Xmas day and thats the best bit isnt it? So i said that we werent having lists anymore (this was about 10 years ago) and they would get what Santa decided to give them.

Its been brilliant. I can take advantage of some fab bargains (last year was V Tech cameras for £15!) and the kids are always thrilled with what they get . Its made Xmas nicer for all of us :)

flogging
me

Having a pink section makes shopping so much quicker for me.

Just saw this linked from fb www.kickstarter.com/projects/16029337/goldieblox-the-engineering-toy-for-girls

What's the verdict? Good to encourage girls or no need to pinkify an engineering toy?

I do hate that "there are bigger issues to worry about" response, as if there is a rule that all global issues must be worried about one by one in strict order of severity.

Don't worry bogey, minimal attention gets paid to the lists anyway. I'm not mean, just frugal! Pound land is great for padding out the tree and stocking!

I suppose if they are the type of shop to sell gender-connected toys and colours, then it's not surprising they will put them under the relevant gender sections rather than mix them together. If that makes any sense?

You are not being unreasonable. But perhaps try a shop selling mainly gender neutral toys, they don't tend to lump them together under 'boys' and 'girls' sections.

But isn't Connect4 gender neutral !??