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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want to ban Friends Lego?

202 replies

chippednailvarnish · 02/06/2015 09:01

I know it's been done before, but I'm just looking at Lego for DD's upcoming birthday and I'm most put off.

Why are most of the Friends sets which appear to be marketed at girls just so crap? There's a popstar dressing room set, a recording studio, a popstar limo, a shopping mall, a food market and the all important hair salon.

Why do Lego produce such dross aimed at girls, but the sets marketed at boys are so much more inclusive of a wider range of interests?

OP posts:
MrsNormanReedus · 02/06/2015 12:08

Well, my 9 yr old son has LOTS of Lego - vintage, modern, all ranges, genres, etc, etc including many Friends sets and he bloody loves it. Lego is Lego he says although he's already aware that his mates do not have the same attitude to "girls" toys and I have to pretend it is mine if they ever spot it. He says there are lots of bits and parts that are not in the "regular" sets and that's all that matters to him.

PandasRock · 02/06/2015 12:08

TSSDNCOP, I have R2D2 waiting to be built.

And some of the (agree, horribly expensive, but aren't they fabulous?) modular buildings too.

I want Tower Bridge, but can't justify it.

TSSDNCOP · 02/06/2015 12:12

Panda I'm so jealous? DS and I are working on Jabbas gunship.

It's the engineering that fascinates me. I would love to go to Lego HQ to see how it's done. I can see why the sets cost £££'s, but you can have just as much fun with a box of bits.

I've got a croissant but we haven't got any Frends sets.

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 02/06/2015 12:15

Oh yes I'd love the tower bridge but the price, ShockShock

PandasRock · 02/06/2015 12:16

I only got R2 recently. We went to Legoland over Easter, and I baulked at the cost of the LL hotel, so stayed elsewhere, but mentally earmarked about half the difference in cost to spend in Lego Grin

I also made it round the Star Wars exhibition for the first time, and came away determined to find an R2. (I wouldn't mind a Millenium Falcon, either, but really can't justify that!). Popped onto ebay, and a couple of hours later, job done.

I'm just waiting for proper child free time to build him. The dc's help me (and I them!) with all other sets, but that one is mine, all mine Grin

DisappointedOne · 02/06/2015 12:17

DH bought the Star Wars Death Star. Took him a week to build it, and we've effectively lost the dining table, but oh does DD spend hours playing with it. Star

Degustibusnonestdisputandem · 02/06/2015 12:18

I will definitely be buying the Dr Who ideas set when it's released!

DisappointedOne · 02/06/2015 12:19

We have the MIllenium Falcon, Pandas

every time I go near it something falls off it!! It's well fiddly.

I hate Star Wars too!

PandasRock · 02/06/2015 12:20

Yes, the doctor who ideas set looks good. I might have to indulge (dd2 not a fan, and ds too young for DW as yet)

PandasRock · 02/06/2015 12:21

Shock the big one? The UCS one? I'll take it off your hands, happily!

girliefriend · 02/06/2015 12:22

My dd hated the lego friends stuff from the moment it came out, a relative bought her one set (a cafe) which she build but it got dismantled pretty quickly, the figures got binned as she thought they looked 'freaky'

I hate it as well op there is no such thing as boys toys and girls toys

For dds 9th bday I bought her this set bike shop this was great as was challenging but she was able to build it independently and has played with the finished set loads.

VeryPunny · 02/06/2015 12:28

Like a PP has said, why can't they just diversify the City range? And I hate the grimaces the minifigs wear instead of smiles now. And Playmobil is just as bad, with its girly shopping malls.

carrie74 · 02/06/2015 12:28

DD(9), a bit tomboyish, plays with Lego and Lego Friends, but in quite separate ways. As mentioned up thread, Lego Friends is more about situational play: creating a shop and acting out a role play. With the traditional kits, she tends to make them and then dismantles and gets creative. The "normal" Lego gets played with more, and she would tend to gravitate to the normal Lego in shops (in part I think to a wider choice compared with the Friends sets). The reason we have any Friends sets though is because my brother (a Lego FIEND as is my nephew) thinks that's what she would like when we suggest Lego (unless we've specified eg Lego Movie stuff).

TheWaltzClogTeam · 02/06/2015 12:35

This is quite a good blog post about it makeyourowndamndinner.com/2013/03/can-we-talk-about-girl-legos.html

tbtc · 02/06/2015 12:37

Oh wow girlie my DS would LOVE the bike shop. He's just 6 though so not quite ready.

ItsTricky · 02/06/2015 12:41

It's very un PC nowadays to admit you have a daughter who likes traditional female toys and activities. My friend is very proud to tell people that her daughter hates anything pink and loves Spiderman etc. Fair enough, but the girls who do enjoy lego friends etc aren't any less a rounded child than those who (or whose parents) shun them.

DisappointedOne · 02/06/2015 12:45

We have the bike shop. DD is 4........

chippednailvarnish · 02/06/2015 12:45

It's very un PC nowadays to admit you have a daughter who likes traditional female toys and activities

But what are "traditional female toys"? Why can't we just make toys unisex and let all children choose what they prefer? Why even bother to make the distinction.

OP posts:
littlejohnnydory · 02/06/2015 12:47

YANBU, we don't do lego friends. The beauty parlour and the lego people that look like mini barbie dolls did it for me.

DisappointedOne · 02/06/2015 12:47

I don't know what UCS is Pandas but yes, it's fucking huge. Hence no dining table.

We also have huge animatronic diggers etc. not sure who is more obsessed with lego - DD or DH!

MiaowTheCat · 02/06/2015 12:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PandasRock · 02/06/2015 12:54

It is not unPC to 'admit' to having a girl who likes pink/'girly' things.

I have a dd who loves lego Friends. And has many sets. I do, however, hate the limitations and expectations that places on her.

The lego Friends range has a lot of body image issues, imo. It is also, at times, incredibly limiting as to societal roles. As I described above, when my dd, having been subjected to marketing and peer influence, veers towards the pink/Friends side of the Lego shop, she can, at times, choose between sets consisting of juice bars, pop stars, shopping malls and fashion design. Nothing wrong with any of those thigns when presented as a range of lifestyles, but when that is all that is presented to girls, when the boys get cars, animals, space, Star Wars and Superheros, Pirates, City, etc, then surely you can see that that is limiting, and insulting?

Why no female pirates? Why no Creator animals sets to specifically appeal to girls (if gender splits must be adhered to)? They are in the standard Lego yellow boxes, and often placed away from the Friends/Elves sets, so are easily glossed over by a small child indoctrinated by marketing to head towards pink/purple/sparkly. Why no pink cars in the City sets? I was pleasantly surprised, having bought the Juniors firefighter suitcase to find there is one male and one female firefighter included. Brilliant. But why the overt emphasis in the whole range (talking City here) on no pink, no domestic, nothing to specifically appeal,to girls, who apparently need separate marketing? All just swamps, and police, and burglars, along with trucks, helicopters etc. a good range, but not ok for those girls (like my own daughter) who do like pink, and sparkles and intricate accessories - where does she fit in? Nowhere, unless she buys into the airhead juice bar/pop star/shopping lifestyle. Lovely.

Sallystyle · 02/06/2015 12:58

My girls love their Lego Friends.

They also have 'normal' lego, but they do love some of the Friends sets and I happily buy them.

My boys also like to play with their Lego Friends as well.

I don't see the problem. My girls love pink, I love pink and my girls also love dressing up as princesses. I have no concerns and I am sure they will turn into well adjusted smart women.

Formerbabe is spot on. Pats on backs from others if you son wears as Elsa dress. Not so much if your daughter does.

PandasRock · 02/06/2015 13:00

UCS is Ultimate Collectors Series, Disappointed (um, ie 'for nerds')

There have been 3 different Falcon sets, I think. Basically small, medium and large, with the UCS being e large one. It has over 5000 pieces, and is now worth a small fortune, quite literally. It is on my 'Lottery win' list.

MrsBojingles · 02/06/2015 13:04

Lego is awesome and not boy centric. I loved Lego as a key d and hated the pink set someone bought me. I was much happier with the Pirates and Castles. I was never interested in building the set car type though. Much happier with a big bucket full.

I personally don't like the Lego friends sets, but I can see they have a place, that's how some kids like to play.