to think that 'girl's toys' are just crap

[hazeyjane]

I saw the adverts at the end of Dora on Nick Jr today, and I just couldn't believe how bad the girls toys were. A Barbie princess throne that has "lots and lots of bling...." ( I feel about a 100 years old ), some mini plastic puppies, a doll that swims, and some sparkly face jewels. The boys on the other hand got a tool bench with realistic circular saw, lego, and hot wheels. Now I was, (like everyone else I know ) desperate for a Girls World when young, and am fully aware that my two girls are going to want half of this crap when they get older, it just makes me sad that so many toys aimed specifically at girls are just about looks, and babies, they don't 'do' anything, they don't encourage thier imaginations, and they just look like sparkly ,blingy trash

I agree wholeheartedly - they are such rubbish, aren't they? Boys toys seem so much more fun...

Much as I hate Thomas the Tank, I'm finding myself quietly relieved that dd is currently obsessed with him - at least there's no pink and James/Percy/whoever don't care what they look like!

Another one that agrees.

DTDs play more with lego & knex than barbies & My little ponies. They did play a bit with polly pocket but now all thats had to go .

My niece loves Thomas too , some of the stuff that dss grew out of got passed on to her...

I really wanted a Girls' World too...

But I agree. I don't want this monoculture for my daughter. I don't want her only dressing up clothes to be fairies and princesses. I don't want her only toys to be glamour dolls.

She has boy cousins and loves their toys (cars, buzz lightyear, fire station). Will def encourage that.

Yup. Thats why my DD has never asked for any of that stuff. Gets given it for birthdays of course, so we have normal complement of nude headless barbies and a legless Bratz.

It may have helped that I occasionally laughed like a drain during some of the adverts. Especially the ones for weeing baby dolls.

She gets lego (inc 'girly' ones like stable), K'nex including ace set with motors, electronics kit (shes 8 now) ... the good "boys" stuff is in fact perfectly appropriate for any girl.

Jewellery and 'bling' goes into pirates treasure chest.

She has happily spent today at holiday club making bird table using real saws, hammers and nails.

Despair not! Advertising is not reality

What about those lovely wooden doll's houses you can get? There's also some nice wooden kitchens. I have DSs and a DD and they have all enjoyed playing with them. Lots of toys are unisex eg lego, Brio and as long as they are around girls will play with them. My DD has shown little interest in girlie toys because there just aren't any in the house. It's quite simple. If you don't like the stuff don't buy it.

Glad I'm not the only one! I know that I can just not buy the stuff,but I guess its the fact that this is the culture in which we are bringing up our girls that depresses me.Also surely its not so simple to avoid because when the girls go to school, round to friends, or just leave the house and walk round the shops they will be surrounded by ( and probably want want want!) this stuff. I'm also not against trashy toys per se, for a start some of the wooden toys are pretty expensive!I just wish that the majority of 'girl's stuff' wasn't sooo trashy (ie Bratz)

YABU but only to my unreasonable little mind! I have 3 boys and would love to be able to buy girly toys!

I am sure there is a fair bit of tat out there but there are also loads of stuff that my dd will spend hours playing with... I got her first Barbies at her request from the local charity shop, she has two... and seldom plays with them, but she plays endlessly with horses and toy figures, animal, soft toys, unicorns hobby horse, Narnia figures etc (which don't do much but she does all the directing)

I cannot be bothered with the barbie/bratz crap but I am not banning them completely...

she has best of both wolrds she can be playing with her doll one moment then be a super hero or a wolf/puppy/kitten/horse without actually needing a toy....

I don't think you are being very unreasonable but it isn't that hard to find good toys(that probably are not advertised on the tele), surely only the tat is advertised on the tele, because otherwise it would never sell?