'Let Toys Be Toys' Organising Thread - Part 2

[OneHandWavingFree]

"Let Toys Be Toys - For Girls, and Boys" is a campaign started by a group of Mumsnetters, to convince retailers to categorise their toys by theme or function, rather than gender.

We're inviting everyone to 'like' us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@LetToysBeToys) and join us right here for discussion and collaborative decision-making about the next steps of our campaign.

Himalaya has been hard at work compiling the information gathered by our fantastic LTBT Mystery Shoppers, and we will be agreeing right here how the surveys will be ranked, which retailers we will be targetting with our message, and how we will go about it.

If you think that girls and boys should feel free to play with whatever toys that interest them most, and that they shouldn't walk into a toy store and feel pressurised to conform into archaic gender roles and stifling stereotypes, please join in the discussion!

[Newsworthy]

Testing

[Newsworthy]

Ok..... I'm on the train to Manchester to do the interview tomorrow. (i have name changed for this, as I don't want to out myself too far on MN).

Funnily enough when I was talking to Jasmine the journalist about this being a group of parents mums who met on Mumsnet, she said "Netmums?" And I went "nooooo!"

One tricky question we may get is "isn't Mumsnet a bit sexist?"

Any answers for that?

[ConsiderCasey]

Newsworthy, if anyone asks that I would point out that Mumsnet has a large male following. But unless we've had word from MNHQ I would stress that this isn't a Mumsnet campaign, just one that was started by concerned parents..

[OneHandWavingFree]

Newsworthy I think that as we are not a Mumsnet campaign, you hopefully won't have to justify or answer for Mumsnet in the interview - you could say 'yes, perhaps it is, and that's a point that gets debated among users of the site quite a lot. But again, this is not a Mumsnet campaign, nor is it about Mumsnet. it's about the messages that retailers send to impressionable children about which roles are suitable for them, as boys or girls.'

[ConsiderCasey]

On a bit of a tangent - this campaign has already made a (small) impact in my house - DS and I were discussing the campaign and he confessed that he has always wanted a dolls house but has always been too embarrassed to ask for one because he thought they were just for girls ....

Needless to say, I now have one hidden under the bed ..

[Newsworthy]

I have started a new thread in chat to promote the petition and my TV debut

All please go sign the petition now, put on FB and twitter and promote it to your RL friends.... It would be a bit embarressing to send people to the petition tomorrow and its only got 5 signatures

sign here

[Newsworthy]

Good line OHWF I'll use that!

[nickelbabylyinginamanger]

aww bless him!

I'm setting the timer to record it tomorrow:)

[ConsiderCasey]

try this for petition

[Newsworthy]

How old is he ConsiderCasey ...that's a good story to tell.

[WomanlyWoman]

on the other hand I feel because although my 5yo DD understands it to a degree I think she only just realised that some people think girls and outer space don't go....

[ConsiderCasey]

He's 11. And he gives you full permission to quote him News!

Sorry, I mean to post the petition link in the chat thread, because the link in the OP isn't working for some reason. I've posted the actual link now but you may want to change it in the OP...

How are you feeling Newsworthy? Nervous? Excited?

[Newsworthy]

I've reported the thread to get the link fixed.

Feeling a little nervous, but I have a Gruffalo with me

[ConsiderCasey]

BTW - should I post the petition on Facebook and twitter?

[ConsiderCasey]

X post! Thanks Joyful!

[aufaniae]

Did you know the petition says we're only aiming for 89 people?! We're a but more ambitious than that surely!

Is it possible to change it?

[Lemonsole]

Have signed and shared.

[5madthings]

signed and shared.

[WomanlyWoman]

have already fb'ed and tweeted petition CC :) RT's pls

is the 89 not just to the next landmark, like 100?