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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Toys R Us (photos attached)

137 replies

toastcollective · 02/12/2017 20:13

Hope I'm posting in the right place, I don't actually have any children myself but I've been shopping for my new niece today. Had a wander round Toys R Us and couldn't quite believe what I saw (I've attached pics)

Would be really interested to hear your thoughts. I'm sure its been ages since shops stopped splitting things by gender? I remember seeing on the news ages ago that Boots, Toys R Us etc were stopping all of this 'boys toys' and 'girls toys' nonsense. I appreciate the signs are neutral now like toy brands or categories 'science' 'arts and crafts' but it is so ridiculously obvious that the toys are gendered it makes me think why on earth they even bothered getting rid of the signs!

If a child spent just 5 mins in this shop even without being bought a toy they would leave will a million stereotypical ideas about gender :(

OP posts:

DeltaWave · 02/12/2017 22:52

Commuter

At 3 years old, a boy at nursery told my DD that she shouldn't be wearing her favourite shoes because they had an aeroplane on them and so were for boys. I'm guessing you agree with the little boy.

Julie8008 · 02/12/2017 22:52

But why do producers feel the need to target things at boys or girls?

Producers target every group on the planet, that how they sell things.

Schmapples · 02/12/2017 22:54

@starwarsfanatic true! I read an article about this once. In the past we wouldn't have recognised pink as a standalone colour. We would have just seen "light red" in the way we just see "light blue" now, not something different to darker red.

you can look at it either way: either we have invented "pink" with all the cultural references that go alongside it, and "pink" doesn't really exist the way we think it does, OR we are missing out on a whole extra colour "light blue" because culturally we're just not programmed to see it

quarterpast · 02/12/2017 22:56

With respect NoToast my point is that regardless of semantics, nobody in the real world actually gives a fuck.

NoToast · 02/12/2017 23:03

I thought most people gave a fuck about their rights and what they earnt and how they were treated?

Blahblahblahzeeblah · 02/12/2017 23:06

My son loves pink toys as it happens to be my favourite colour so he always gravitates towards them. He chose a pink microwave toy over the more gender neutral red version.

Mumof56 · 02/12/2017 23:09

My son loves pink toys as it happens to be my favourite colour so he always gravitates towards them. He chose a pink microwave toy over the more gender neutral red version

Has he started transitioning yet?

NoToast · 02/12/2017 23:10

Children as an entire class are a bigger target than boys or girls, so it doesn't make sense to split the market?

Witchend · 02/12/2017 23:11

When they have till operators refusing to sell a pink packaged toy to a boy or blue to a girl then I'll get worked up about it.

I remember being most put out when I was little to find you couldn't get pink lego bricks, so I'm quite happy to find they do now.
My ds' (10yo) favourite colour is pink, dd2's favourite colour is blue. Ds would still chose to buy the airfix models and dd2, despite being 14yo, would be hovering round the dolls.

quarterpast · 02/12/2017 23:12

What's something as banal as packaging got to do with rights? You're really trying hard to make an issue where there isn't one.

sagamartha · 02/12/2017 23:14

Blue and pink is everywhere.

I am sure other colours must exist out there. So why are blue and pink so prevalent?

Julie8008 · 02/12/2017 23:26

Children as an entire class are a bigger target than boys or girls, so it doesn't make sense to split the market? That is like saying adults are a bigger target then men or women, so it doesn't make sense to split the market.

Producers do whatever sells best, so self evidently marketing to girls and boys separately does sell better.

DistaffSide · 02/12/2017 23:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sagamartha · 02/12/2017 23:36

Producers do whatever sells best, so self evidently marketing to girls and boys separately does sell better

Thus reinforcing the cycle.......

Who's leading who? The consumer or the producer?

CakesRUs · 02/12/2017 23:47

It'll be offensive, before long, to ask what sex a child is when it's born. Or buy pink or blue birth cards.

Tantpoke · 02/12/2017 23:54

When I go to Toys R Us, as in any shop, I just want to find what I need or browse in a relevant area be it dolls, or fruit and veg, arts and crafts or the wine section, I don't care what colour it is I just want to buy what I require. Although when I see pink, yes, it indicates toys for girls which is rather helpful in the grand scheme of things in a large toy store.

And in all my years visiting toy shops I have never come across a sign stating 'girls' or 'boys' to indicate a relevant section you just head towards whatever it is you're after and hope you can find it easily.

ferrier · 03/12/2017 00:06

YANBU op. It doesn't need a sign saying 'boys' or 'girls' toys to be very clear who each shelf is aimed at.
Science shelf is 100% blue or green.
Arts/dolls shelves close on 100% pink.
It needs to change.
And ideally from earliest age - no more blue/pink boy/girl divisions in nursery decorations/layettes etc.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 03/12/2017 00:11

It is pretty rubbish. I compared it to Argos website and Argos has polychromatic colouring on its science and crafts sets.

TrinitySquirrel · 03/12/2017 00:15

I think the ultimate question is why do they always have to be blue and pink?

Why isn't one of those aisles yellow and one green? Or purple, or red or orange or whatever the eff other colours.

Why does every new toy that comes out almost always have to have a normal brightly coloured version and then an effing pink one?

Why does there have to be Scout and Violet? Why not just a green dog?

Why does there have to be Alfie and Alice? Why not just a bloody bear coloured bear?

There's a doll range in Smyths where she can aspire to do laundry, be a babysitter or her make-up/modelling. Why can't that doll have a race car or a pet dragon or a rocket kit?

I bought a VTech ball yesterday that tempts kids in to crawling as they chase after it. One is red and green and orange and yellow and blue. The other is pink and white and clearly marketed at girls. There is no need for that at all! There is no need for everything targeted at girls to be FUCKING PINK.

And Lego lost all credibility when they brought out Lego friends - again marketed at girls. I lost my shit over that and have never bought any lego ever since.

Julie8008 · 03/12/2017 01:16

Who's leading who? The consumer or the producer?

That's up to the parents, take responsibility.

sagamartha · 03/12/2017 08:10

I think the ultimate question is why do they always have to be blue and pink

This. It shows a complete lack of imagination.

It's like when you go to shops and see door signs with children's names on. They come in 2 colours. Blue and pink.

Cards for when babies are born. What colour are they?

Mothers day cards....

It's everywhere.

WineIsMyMainVice · 03/12/2017 08:15

I completely agree with you op. And I’m quite shocked at the number of people on here (presumably mainly women) who don’t see this as an issue.
Since starting school my DD has suddenly started saying things like “ pink is for girls” and more concerning “ I can’t be a doctor I can only be a nurse because I’m a girl”.

TammySwansonTwo · 03/12/2017 08:17

I had to buy a baby walker for my twins - was looking at them second hand and one brand comes in either blue or pink. Why on earth does a bloody baby walker need to be pink?

People can argue it's inherent but evidently it isn't, since pink clothes were initially promoted for baby boys and blue for girls.

lightcola · 03/12/2017 08:18

My 4 year old son would be drawn to both sections. We don’t make a big deal out of boy/girls stuff and let him be interested in what he wants to be.

redexpat · 03/12/2017 08:23

YANBU. Have a look at the let toys be toys campaign.

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