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Original poster

Increasingly concerned at censorious PC parenting becoming the norm

142 replies

Twiglett · 30/09/2006 09:58

yes we all want to protect our children and make sure they're well rounded individuals

but where does our idea of what is right stop and our child's right to discover for themselves begin

obvioulsy there are certain boundaries of behaviour

but eg should a child be stopped from exploring physical play methods (a la cowboys and indians) because it doesn't fit with our ideal of a non-violent society

should a child not be allowed a Barbie because we feel it is a bad stereotype

what do you think?

OP posts:
2shoescreepingthroughblood · 01/10/2006 23:00

dd HAD to have a barbie even though she has cp and was impossible to play with as to titchy but I got her one anyway. It was because i didn't have one and to me it was a rite of passage toy.
If she wants a toy and has the money she has it don't care if it is pc.

franca70 · 01/10/2006 23:09

agree fatfox. I tend to keep clear of parenting gurus...

fatfox · 01/10/2006 23:12

Yeah but what does your name mean 2shoes?

Am going to bed soon, so please put me out of my misery...

emmatom · 02/10/2006 09:23

well said Quadrofiegnia.

SenoraPostrophe · 02/10/2006 09:33

OK I do have a problem with Barbie because she represents an impossible "ideal" appearance (her tits are the size of her head for god's sake) and I want to protect dd from that stuff for as long as possible - I am convinced that it is absorbed on some level even before dd starts to think that she might not be as beautiful as mummy says she is. It is not at all like giving them a baby doll.

Likewise I will not encourage either dd or ds to play with guns etc, although I probably won't stop them from making lego ones or whatever.

I am aware that this strategy may not have any effect, but I will persevere. anyway, isn't Barbie out of fashion now?

FioFio · 02/10/2006 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

alligator · 02/10/2006 10:13

Damn why didnt this thread come out on Friday. Bought a Bratz doll for my niece for christmas. grrrrrrrrr. Am well pissed off now.

Having said I think that what children do with their toys often bears little resemblance to what the toymakers think they are going to do. dd's (2.8) has PowerRangers (inherited from her big brother). They get put to bed, woken up, go pretend shopping, go to the park, fly helicopters and occasionally rescue people.

fatfox · 02/10/2006 10:43

Alligator - LOL at the Power Rangers lifestyle!! Do they eat out at restaurants too?

alligator · 02/10/2006 10:54

no not restaurents yet But they did all go to the pub the other day and the red powerranger had lemonade cos hes not old enough to drink beer (apparently)

fatfox · 02/10/2006 11:14

That's so sweet

franca70 · 02/10/2006 16:01

I think that what children do with their toys often bears little resemblance to what the toymakers think they are going to do.
agree! the thing about barbie is that now, as an adult, I see that she has ridicously impossible proportions etc, but never really noticed as a kid, never aspired to grow up blond and with big breasts

2shoescreepingthroughblood · 02/10/2006 17:12

alligator pmsl

fatfox · 02/10/2006 19:24

Mind you Franca, I hear curves are back! At least Barbie is not a size 0!

ScareyCaligulaCorday · 02/10/2006 20:35

I don't think censorious parenting is any more the norm than it always was. People have always bitched about how that Mrs So-and-so down the road, hasn't got a clue about how to dress her little girl properly - FGS did you see the poor mite out in the rain without a hat on, and wellies on in summer! And only a sandwich for dinner when she should be getting a hot meal, blah blah.

I think the difference is, is that it is now the subject of public debate. Serious newspapers which once would have thought the subject of toys or food for kids well beneath their notice, have realised there's a market for such discussion; plus we can all discuss each others' shortcomings over the internet - we just know what we're all saying about each other now, whereas before we only suspected it.

I don't do Barbie or guns, but if someone else buys them for the kids I don't give it back with a horrified "I can't allow that to darken my doors". If they want to play with them, that's up to them. There are only so many battles I can be bothered to fight with them.

QuiQuoQua · 02/10/2006 20:43

"There are only so many battles I can be bothered to fight with them."

so very true! I guess everyone just picks what's important to them.

franca70 · 02/10/2006 20:45

true!

fatfox · 02/10/2006 20:51

agree!

They can have the Barbies and guns, but not the fruit shoots LOL

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