Come & help me find out why I've just bought myself some Lego Friends

[MagratsHair]

OK some context, I bought the Lego Movie a couple of days ago, have played with my 2 sons' Lego since then & I'm doing a lego birthday cake for DS1. So I'm surrounded by the bloody stuff at the moment. I do not buy genderised toys for them & I flatly refuse to entertain the concept of a toy that is specially for a girl or a boy, when I buy birthday presents for school friends parties I do not entertain this pink girly shit, the girls get a range of stuff like books, lego, board games etc as do the boys.

So why oh why when I was buying a new lego construction set for DS1's birthday cake yesterday did I find myself pining over the Lego Friends set with its pretty pink & lime green bricks, flowers & decidedly girly themes of a cupcake cafe, lemonade stand etc etc. I've also just bought myself Olivia's ice cream bike to play with, although I'll keep it in the same box as the boys' lego & they are totally free to play with it also.

I asked DP the same question last night & it turns out that I would by choice, assemble the ice cream bike, then display it & play with it as an ice cream bike incorporating it into other games as a bike. Whereas DP would assemble it, then de-assemble & use the parts to make other things. So basically DP would use the lego for building purposes & I would use it for display purposes.

Why the hell did I just buy pink gendered lego, I grew up in the late 70's is it a hangover from my childhood or am I not as free thinking & modern as I thought.... I know its not important but I'd be interested in your thoughts

Both of my boys like lego friends if thats any consolation.

You're ridiculously overthinking things, just but what you like. What the hell is wrong with an ice cream cart ??

If it's gender hangup bollocks, most ice cream sellers I encounter are men !!

I don't know, why do I own a Blush build a bear, some toys just appeal.

Some people do role play and like to keep their sets as what they are - DD2 to the extent she much prefers playmobil.

Me I take everything apart and turn it into something else and don't play with it much afterwards as that sort of social game bores me.

Erm, because it's pretty?!

Who chose the decoration for your house? You or your DH?

There ARE gender differences, you know!!!

Not as large as the shops make out, mind you.

I really don't get the Lego Friends angst. I have a DS and 2 DD's who own a huge box of Lego of all colours. Sometimes DD1 picks out the LF bricks and builds the school house, sometimes she just uses whatever bricks come to hand. DS generally just uses whatever bricks he can reach. Unless a girl is only being allowed to play with the LF sets and no other because she's a girl and it's femine colours I really don't see an issue. DD1 has yet to become a simpering mess due to pink exposure... DD2 is a toddler and builds various towers with the bricks or throws them down the stairs
One more teeny thing...
Lego isn't for display! It's for playing with!