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Original poster

Gender appropriate toys?

77 replies

wannaBe1974 · 25/01/2006 13:07

Last night I was talking to a friend who I haven't seen since before christmas. She was tellin me about the presents her DD had got and was saying that her mum had bought her a garage with lots of cars as her DD loves cars. She then said that her grandfather had gone absolutely belistic at her mother for buying a "boy's toy for a girl!" It made me smile somewhat as I remember well that when I was a child and not into dolls I played with scalectrics and trains and cars, my DS, although totally into cars and trains also has a kitchen and lots of play food. So, do you buy gender specific toys? and if so would you draw a line at anything?

Think if I had a daughter I would allow anything, but think I'd be a bit uncomfortable if DS asked for a barby doll, lol.

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oliveoil · 25/01/2006 13:40

what is it with pink? We did the need-new-clothes run at the weekend and she was sulking away at not getting pink this and pink that.

Where does it come from?

NotQuiteCockney · 25/01/2006 13:40

Barbies look like teeny tiny blow-up dolls. They frighten me.

NotQuiteCockney · 25/01/2006 13:41

Du Pareil au meme do lovely lovely girls' clothes that aren't all pink. (www.dpam.com)

No help for the pink-preferring kids, but good for the parents.

I really don't think I could cope with a child who insisted on looking like a bottle of Peptobismol at all times.

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motherinferior · 25/01/2006 13:43

They live in a culture which bombards them with pinkitude. And sooner or later their parents cave in. I have tried, my god I've tried, but then I find myself choosing pink because, well, they'll like it and they don't have my red hair so they can wear it and well, they'll look so very sweet...

fennel · 25/01/2006 13:46

feral cheryl is the way to go for the barbie haters.

my dds do have some barbies but don't play with them much. they have a lovely ungendered range of toys and they do have favourites but not along gender lines. lego preferred over cars. baby dolls and furry animals preferred over barbies.

might draw a line at machine gun toys, perhaps.

lazycow · 25/01/2006 13:47

I only have one ds and no other children. I would definitely buy him dolls/prams etc. He loves the cooker at the chilminders and the pushchairs at the playgroup we go to - so am planning to get him something along those lines in the next couple of months. If you have dd's then any ds can play with girls' toys. If you don't have any dds then it seems unfair that boys don't get to play with toys that many of them would love.

As for buying 'boys' toys for girls. I'm surprised anyone thinks it is at all odd (Mind you my grandfather would have been the same if he were alive. I remember him telling me I couldn't be an engineer when I was about 12 as that was am man's job.

madmarchhare · 25/01/2006 13:48

pmsl @ feral cheryl.

wessexgirl · 25/01/2006 13:51

DD1's favourites at the moment are her garage and the Bob the Builder tool bench at playgroup. I'm hoping she'll be able to help out with motor maintenance and DIY at some point, as neither DH nor I have any kind of clue about either.

jessthecat · 25/01/2006 13:52

Her only accessories: a bag of home grown herbs

Hmmmmmmm

Bozza · 25/01/2006 13:55

Tend to buy DS gender specific toys now that he is coming up 5 and well and truly stereotyped in what he wants. He does have a tea set, play food etc. Tend to buy DD "girl's toys" because we already have an extensive range of boys toys. Although her stocking did include a small bouncy ball with a skull on and a hot wheels car. Not typical for a 1yo girl but her brother got the same so they can go on the hall and play together. DD loves balls - but how many do you need?

motherinferior · 25/01/2006 14:05

I very, very much want a feral cheryl now. I could play with it all afternoon.

motherinferior · 25/01/2006 14:06

Really, though, I think I want to be a feral. Oh very much yes.

puddle · 25/01/2006 14:14

lol at feral Cheryl coming "with a small bag of dried basil"

Cha · 25/01/2006 14:30

I want a feral cheryl too (whinging tone). Wonder where her small amount of bodily hair is though...

madmarchhare · 25/01/2006 14:30

Does she go on to have feral kids that play out on the street til 10 o clock?

sunnydelight · 25/01/2006 16:10

The house was full of boys toys when DD came along and she likes things like the train set and little cars, but is more and more into her dolls and dressing up as she gets older (she's nearly 3). BTW I still chuckle spidermama at the memory of your DS "blowdrying" DD's hair!

TambaTheDragonSlayer · 25/01/2006 16:13

I dont believe toys should be gender specific. Children dont care what colour a toy is or if its 'supposed' to be for a girl or boy - Its society that creates stereotypes and gender traits.

Bozza · 25/01/2006 16:14

I think that after a certain level of socialisation most children, most definitely do care what colour a toy is and whether it is a girl or boy toy, whatever their parents think on the subject.

TambaTheDragonSlayer · 25/01/2006 16:15

They only care because society has taught children what colours and toys they ought to like due to there gender

Bozza · 25/01/2006 16:17

Oh yes totally agree but as they get older it's hard to get away from it.

DS complains because we get "girly" adverts on our TV. Like I can do anything about it!

fennel · 25/01/2006 16:23

agree that they usually care eventually. it's a matter of holding off the inevitable. as we might do with junk food, too much tv and computer games, etc.

dds have reached the ages of nearly 6 and 4.5 without us becoming barbie hell. even if it hits us (they seem to be late developers in this) then i think they grow out of it by about 8 or so don't they?

Jasnem · 25/01/2006 16:34

All the little boys who come to our house (a bit of a girl zone apart from pirates and train set)love playing with Polly Pocket.
My friend has just bought Barbies for her 4yo ds as he regularly asks for them.
No harm at all, just a bit of diversity- wish my DDs liked meccano as much as I used to though, I'd love an excuse to play with it again.

Hulababy · 25/01/2006 16:56

DD is 3y4m so pretty much all of her toys are gender specific now - at her request. You know the stuff - Barbie, Polly Pocket, Disney Princess, dolls, prams, girl's dress up, hair/pretend make up type things, etc. She has always been very girly in her play and choice of toy always opting for the "girl" toys at nursery and friend shouses, or if browing in shops.

She has some non-girly toys such as cars and a car mat but she rarely touches them now. They tend to come out when we have little boys over to play. She isn't interested in her bricks either now.

She does like non-gender specific too - sports stuff and outside toys, Happy Land, musical toys, etc.

Hulababy · 25/01/2006 16:56

Ooops - DD is actually 3y9m!

NotQuiteCockney · 25/01/2006 17:16

I was wondering about the body hair, too. Must be pubes? You could see her armpits in the pictures, and there wasn't any hair there, I don't think.

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