[Closed] Gender neutral toys

Nobody seems to be able to make a decision without researching it first in the Internet, canvassing their friends opinion to make sure it's not a 'wrong' decision and the ultra PC method of bringing up children now that eschews gender stereotypes but instead conditions in an entirely different (but equally damaging) way so that the poor children don't have a mind of their own and just go along with whatever is on trend at the moment and are terrified of making a decision of their own incase it's 'wrong' too!

Are you responding to a different thread or did you fail Comprehension at school? Since when did letting children be children as opposed to being boy-ey boys and girly girls count as being ultra PC?

But you old ****s keep patting each other on the back and reassuring yourselves that you're so right and everyone else is wrong. You have to love how bizarrely some people misinterpret others' speech/writing/behavior because of their own biases...

As the father of two young girls, I'm extremely tired of the pink/ fluffy bunny/ kitchen/ princesses conditioning I see. Now my three-year old likes that stuff, and she also likes jumping in puddles, football and going fast on her scooter. It's about having a choice, not imposing one.

I also note that her male friends of the same age invariably head for the dressing up box and play kitchen whenever they come round.

I often wonder if girls toys are unrelentingly rubbish to prepare them for how dreadful their adult lives will be..

I'm pretty sure that cars, dinosaurs and construction sets are actually gender neutral...

I'm pretty sure that cars, dinosaurs and construction sets are actually gender neutral...

So why not have just one section called "Toys" with everything in it and nothing to indicate that certain toys are for children of a specific gender and let children choose? Why is this concept seen as so subversive and threatening to some people?

And yes, there is a much greater problem with society in general, advertising, media and so on but that is just whataboutery in this specific discussion.

chiefgrooveguru - Member

"Nobody seems to be able to make a decision without researching it first in the Internet, canvassing their friends opinion to make sure it's not a 'wrong' decision and the ultra PC method of bringing up children now that eschews gender stereotypes but instead conditions in an entirely different (but equally damaging) way so that the poor children don't have a mind of their own and just go along with whatever is on trend at the moment and are terrified of making a decision of their own incase it's 'wrong' too!"

Are you responding to a different thread or did you fail Comprehension at school? Since when did letting children be children as opposed to being boy-ey boys and girly girls count as being ultra PC?

But you old **** keep patting each other on the back and reassuring yourselves that you're so right and everyone else is wrong. You have to love how bizarrely some people misinterpret others' speech/writing/behavior because of their own biases...

Just ignore the teeth gnashing, clothes rending, handwringing bedwetters Chief! Apoplectic at other people's consideration, it's hilarious.

Just feel the need to chime in.. I am of the thought that selfridges are not changing the clothes they sell and expecting all blokes to want to wear dresses, they are simply removing the segregation in the shop and the stigma of shopping in the "wrong" bit. I am a female, but I choose to dress like a 14 year old boy most of the time as that is comfortable. Sometimes I feel like an idiot in the mens department, but I feel equally awkward in the lingerie section... so to me the idea of mixing the shop around is great, I can feel at ease and not be pointed at. And I am 34, imagine feeling like that at 12, or 6... pink toys are fine, I had plenty, I had barbies and toy horses, I also had toy guns and climbed trees. Boys clothes are far better for tree climbing by the way. 🙂

They are, but, when they are in blue packaging in a section marked "Boys toys" and nothing equivalent in a section marked "Girls toys" then something wrong.

This seems to be the premise that most of these "Why aren't toys gender neutral" articles and threads end up pushing.

Two things I can think of on this:

1. Who says blue is only for boys? If s/he wants a car, why is blue stopping this? Also, that's kind of the point. Buy a toy gun, packaging is camouflage with a soldier on it. That doesn't mean a girl can't buy it.

2. I can't remember the last time I saw a boy or girl toy section in the shop. Normally it's organised by type. Figures, dolls, lego, trains, cars etc. There's nothing stopping a girl or boy buying a toy from anywhere in the shop.

Its all advertising bollcoxs anyway.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-did-girls-start-wearing-pink-1370097/?no-ist

PS. Watching my daughters destroy anyone disturbing their GTA-V beach party is always major lols.......