Would anyone like to join in an effort to convince retailers to stop categorizing toys by gender?

[OneHandWavingFree]

Following on from this thread and similar ones, a few of us are interested in discussing ways to send a message to retailers that it is not acceptable to designate 'boys' and 'girls' toy aisles which reinforce the message that science and adventure are "boys stuff", while girls should be primarily occupied with looking 'sexy' or practicing for domestic drudgery.

The first steps might be to draft a letter and identify a few retailers to target for an email campaign. Other ideas of how to get the message across are very welcome too, though.

Would anyone like to join in?

ah, sorry, I only skimmed the first line before, it's because it said 'can we not', round here we say that meaning 'can we' Have undone earlier tweet, did ask, people seemed to think was fine. Also, I think of MN as public viewing...

I get confused as to who is who, re fb admins and Mners, should have been less hasty, sorry.

Anyway - on a brighter note - Tesco just tweeted sorry! About the chemistry set - they are passing it on to be looked into apparently...

Yes yes yes! I was a real tomboy as a kid and sometimes feel so depressed picking out toys for my dd (pink toy Hoover anyone?). I'm expecting another girl next year and I fear things are getting worse. I used to get my dd Postman Pat/ Snoopy PJs when she was little but now she won't wear blue at all, saying it is for boys. Also don't get me started on the impracticality of lots of the girls' clothes out there! Skirts too short to climb or really move in, glittery sandals that don't stay on & a child can't run in etc. It's not just the retailers, it's family members and friends too. They all ridicule me and try to remind me that, " She's a girl" when I buy a red bike, or a cool fire engine toy.

trishawisha that is great! Well done to the twitter team - you guys are doing an amazing job

Ladykinbote, Trishwisha - not to worry - i dont' think 100's of people will spring into action anyway

And another facebook poster complained to Tescos so hopefully they will take notice.

Night all [bsmile]

Just seen that thread mrsmushroom, and your valiant attempts to point out the absurdity! Apparently all campaigning - unless it is about cancer or poverty is pointless.

Well done re. Twitterers

Yes Kate, family is often worse. It's become so if you don't buy the pink ones you are being deliberately wilful.

Thisisa what a nightmare! I gave up really when someone mentioned cancer!

Will the new thread still be in women's rights? I feel itchy because I'm not DOING anything....I'm so bloody busy atm. I'm going to Oz on Thursday and will be toy buying....I will look at t he displays there just as a matter of interest and report back if anyone's interested.

I think as a whole, the girls there are less pinkified....haven't been for 5 years though so might have changed....

Morning just checking in as RL gets in the way.
Am retweeting on twitter androstenedione doing couple of surveys now.

I can't get involved as much as I would like but want to say I think you are all fantastic.

Good morning all - I am going out for the day so when I come home I imagine I'll be checking in to a new thread.. whoever starts the new one, please link it here so that I can find you!

MrsMushroom well done on getting stuck in on the ridiculous "how awful to give a boy a pink card" / "wearing pink doesn't mean girls can't be physicists, calm down dears" thread. Apparently having everything offered to them in pink, and only pink, has no effect whatsoever on little girls, yet little boys can be terribly confused and upset by having one pink thing given to them. So pink is just a colour, ridiculous to get exercised about it... unless you're talking about a boy, in which case it's just wrong.

I couldn't bring myself to get into it, my eyes are exhausted from this computer screen after the last two weeks and I know I'd have been glued to the argument for the night.

Sometimes it's just not worth it! Yesterday I had the 'playing with a doll doesn't turn a boy gay' debate at work

Haven't read the other thread - maybe I should.

Thing is ... I reckon controversy and disagreement are good ways to bring about publicity for the campaign So even though some will never be interested, it draws others into thinking about the issues.

OK Surveyers, thanks for all your hard work so far, we are on the last lap (or the last lap of the first round, or something...)

Here are your marching orders:

Red List : No surveys yet submitted - these are most urgent

Entertainer - catalogue
Tesco - catalogue
Wilkos - store and catalogue
Boots - store and catalogue
John Lewis - catalogue
House of Fraser - store
Smyths - store and catalogue
Mothercare - store and catalogue
Hamleys - store, catalogue (?) and web

NB: Catalogue answers go on the 'online' survey, apologies for any confusion! (We do not have catalogues surveyed for Asda, Sainsburies and Toys R Us ? but I don?t think they have them? Or am I wrong?)

Yellow list: We have one survey done but could do with another to verify - not so urgent

Argos ? catalogue and web
Entertainer ? web
Tesco ? store
Wilko ? store
Toys R Us ? web
John Lewis ? store
House of Fraser ? web
Sainsbury?s ? web.

Green list: These are well covered - they don't need to be redone right now

Asda ? store and web
Entertainer ? store
Tesco ? web
Boots ? web
Toys R Us ? store
Debenhams ? store
John Lewis - web
Smyths ? Web
Mothercare ? Web
Sainsburys - store

Onwards and upwards.....

I can do Boots store tomorrow (and Hamleys next weekend if you can wait).

Can I do one for Amazon because they're awful from what I've seen so far?

More stories in the Daily Mail - oddly, they're really taking an interest in the gender neutral toy issue. I like this:

"Child psychologists recommend gender neutral toys for healthy development.

'In order for children to not face limitations in their occupational choices, we need to present them with gender neutral toys,' said Jeff Gardere, a child psychologist. "

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241553/Teenagers-campaign-Hasbro-make-gender-neutral-toy-oven.html

Well there's an unexpected (but welcome) ally! I have a meeting in Central London tomorrow. If I'm able to time my 'lunch break' correctly I'll see if I can do Hamleys then. The timings may well not work out though!

I can't offer to do anything towards this at the moment, but just wanted to say Thank You Thank You Thank You for doing this, you wonderful people. You make my heart sing!

Can do some web ones today and then pick up some catalogues in week.

I get nervous when The Daily Fail agrees with us

Just tried to fill in.some more surveys but its going straight to.the "thanks for completing this survey page"?!! I cant get to the start of the survey? Any ideas?

You need to clear your cookies. Although I did mine on my phone and used my husband's phone the second time round! I may have to mug someone for their phone when it comes to doing my third.

I am on my phone so.how do.i do.it on my phone? i may kick ds1 off the pc and use dp's phone later!

done another catalogue/online one. Tried to do an in store one, but my son had different ideas, and ran out the shop into the car park, so I decided to call it a day and give up!

I have started a new thread.

I had hoped that someone else would be OP on the new one (see my post from yesterday morning!) because I think the more of us who have 'ownership' of the campaign the better - both for the sense of collaboration and buy-in that will keep people motivated, and so that there's not too much pressure on any two or five people to keep things rolling!

But, at 998 messages I was afraid that we'd run out of room to link the threads together, so I started a new one. I hope nobody minds.

I kept it in this section, because I couldn't find another one that suited (thought about "Toys" but it seems to get very little traffic). If people object to it being here or think there's a better place, I'll ask MNHQ to move it.

i was going to but I'm in my phone.
and also really poorly.