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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be annoyed by this on the early learning centre website...

147 replies

dreamylady · 01/12/2009 21:43

"For the little princess in the family we have great feminine outfits like Butterfly Fairy, Sleeping Beauty, Ballerina and Nurse's uniform. Why not add a medical case for that extra touch of authenticity.

The boys are catered for too, with great Doctor, Policeman & Fireman uniforms, not to mention fantastic Pirate and Knight costumes. All these can be combined with a range of accessories so your child will really look the part."

Here's the page: www.elc.co.uk/toys/dressing-up-roleplay/dressing-up-outfits/?filter=filter&category=604

gr r!! I've already written them an email to complain, but I wondered what the general mumsnetter concensus would be?

OP posts:
fernie3 · 01/12/2009 21:52

ok I am probably being really stupid here but whats the problem?

RichardCranium · 01/12/2009 21:53

TBH It's not something that bothers me at all.

DD likes to dress up as a ballerina and DS likes to dress up as a doctor .

What does annoy about the ELC is that they've raised the prices of their kitchens by £20 just before I was about to order one!

cookinmama · 01/12/2009 21:54

Totally agree it would seem that the elc want to turn all of their toys into gender specific toys aimed at either girls or boys and never the twain shall meet. I think if I have to see another of their insipid pink contraptions aimed at little princesses i will scream!!

RichardCranium · 01/12/2009 21:54

it is the sexism, job role thing you're moaning about isn't it?

PrincessToadstool · 01/12/2009 21:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

2shoes · 01/12/2009 21:56

yabu

MaggieNollaig · 01/12/2009 21:56

i don't get too upset about this, but at the same time, it wouldn't KILL them to just sell all the costumes for children

Bellsa · 01/12/2009 21:57

I agree with you dreamylady. I hate this gender steroetyping from the ELC. Have you seen the recent campaign against this from PinkStinks? Seems we're not the only ones getting fired up about this...

NaccetyMac · 01/12/2009 22:00

It drives me practically insane, to the point where I don't shop there any more.
WHY do they need an alternate garage in pink? WHY is all the happyland now available in pink or turqouise - ir used to be gender neutral and fab.

Bad messages, ELC, not impressed, not one bit.

TAFKAtheUrbanFucker · 01/12/2009 22:01

What's wrong with buying a boy a fairy outfit? My ds loves swanning around in his fairy wings and tutu!

If there are gender divisions they're in your head, IMO.

fernie3 · 01/12/2009 22:03

My son has a pink early learning centre kitchen like this
www.elc.co.uk/toy/pink-sizzlin-kitchen-with-accessories/
Its what he chose! even if it says girls or boys or is in pink or blue that doesnt mean you CANT buy it for the opposite sex. I LIKE that i can get girly colours because this is what my daughter often chooses. There are lots of neutral colours as well i dont see the problem!

RichardCranium · 01/12/2009 22:04

They're not rules! No one is saying your DS can't dress up as a princess or your DD can't dress up as a mechanic It's just advertising! A 3yo girl wanting a pink garage is not going to be damaged for life FGS.

Original poster
dreamylady · 01/12/2009 22:06

yes richardhead that is what I'm moaning about. (Oh there she goes again, having a moan) Your DCs are lucky (for now anyway) that they gravitate towards traditional gender specific pastimes. Or maybe they're secretly repressing their true desires to keep you and their friends and the elc marketing department happy .

My DC likes to dress up as a ballerina too. and a fairy, and a vet, and a dragon, and a pumpkin, and a cat, and she plays doctors though she kind of makes do (for now) with the vets outfit. Being such a pushy mum I'll soon sort that out of course and get her something more convincing!

OP posts:
Original poster
dreamylady · 01/12/2009 22:10

oops cross post richardhead. The thing about advertising is, that it does affect the way you think - that's why companies spend so much money on it. So children exposed to adverts - and othe real life role models, and stories, identify strongly with what they see and hear.

OP posts:
TAFKAtheUrbanFucker · 01/12/2009 22:10

I gave ds one of dh's old shirts for a dr's dressing up outfit - and bought him the dr kit (from ELC, actually!) that would work for a girl too, surely?

He loves playing with his kitchen and his buggy and his fairy wings. I don't see anything wrong with it tbh.

angelene · 01/12/2009 22:11

No but it's incessant, creeping, normalisation of roles and it is getting right on my tits.

Why does everything in ELC come in pink or blue? It's really fucking me off and with the demise of Woolies there aren't really many other toy shops in my town. Thank god for tinternet.

LittleMissBliss · 01/12/2009 22:11

Richard- if you haven't ordered the kitchen yet i have a 20% off code that worked for me on friday. bc1109

MsHighwater · 01/12/2009 22:11

It ticks me off as well. YANBU at all. If a doctor costume is modelled by a child (rather than just being photographed lying flat), the child is ALWAYS a boy. Same with firefighter, police officer, vet, astronaut. Of course there's nothing to prevent you buying a doctor outfit for a girl but there is still something subliminal going on. And why no male nurse outfit? Why no goblin or sprite or wizard outfit for boys?

Chaotica · 01/12/2009 22:12

YANBU - it drives me mad.

It does matter that the advertising says such things as soon my lovely DD (who loves rockets, trains and cars) will not feel able to play with such things as she is a girl (she already gets plenty of girly presents which she never touches again). (And as for DS who likes wearing skirts to do ballet... at least he will be big enough to fight back)

BTW - where did you email, OP? I will send a complaint in too. (I love happyland, but not in pink and turquoise I don't...)

angelene · 01/12/2009 22:14

The cars/garages thing particularly annoys me.

DO WOMEN NOT DRIVE CARS??? EH?? EH??

pigletmania · 01/12/2009 22:16

Nothing wrong YABU, its just a suggestion, there is nothing to stop you getting the policemans outfit for your dd or a nurses outfid for ds.

RichardCranium · 01/12/2009 22:17

Thank you LittleMissBliss! Will send it to my Mum, she's decided she wants to buy it for them.

Fortunately it's red and the picture shows a little boy AND girl playing with it .

Wolliw · 01/12/2009 22:17

My cousin is a nurse. I should tell him he's got it wrong.

You are not being unreasonable. The incessant druming of gender stereotypes into our children is offensive.

If you do buy the wrong colour coded toy for a child then the child or the parent or both risk ridicule and humiliation from peers, family or both. It is no joke.

RichardCranium · 01/12/2009 22:20

"If you do buy the wrong colour coded toy for a child then the child or the parent or both risk ridicule and humiliation from peers, family or both. It is no joke" - the people who ridicule you and your child for having the 'wrong' coloured toys are idiots, why would you care?

Original poster
dreamylady · 01/12/2009 22:25

Chaotica and others who've asked:

this takes you to the
contact page on their website

You're guaranteed a response within 24 hrs - i got one but not very satisfactory so i just sent another It makes you feel good!

for more info / background have a look at this campaign website, they're doing something similar:
pinkstinks

You could even forward your elc comment to the pinkstinks people like I did - it will give them a boost! ([email protected])

I don't actually have a problem with pink stuff just would like there to be some CHOICE!And for pink to be de-girlified.

OP posts: