Why Does It Really Matter?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shopping-and-consumer-news/12010834/Boys-and-Girls-categories-ditched-by-Toys-R-Us.html

When one goes into a toy shop to buy a child a toy, one knows the child's likes and dislikes, so one seeks out that particular toy.

If the child is a girl one heads straight to the girl's section and if the child is a boy one heads for the boy's section, unless of course one knows the child's likes differently.

[Gromit]

The Little Boys have been complaining because they cannot find the 'Frozen' dresses.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3264003/Doting-dad-praises-three-year-old-son-s-decision-dress-Elsa-Frozen-Halloween-reveals-planning-dress-like-Princess-Anna.html

[Cloverjo]

I don't have small children any more, but if I had I'd be frustrated by all the pink, sparkly things that girls are supposed to like. Even Early Learning Centre had gone down that road last time I looked. Please let's not shove kids into sections and say "you must like this, and you must like that". Let them look at everything and choose what they like.

[vulcan42]

It's going to be an uphill struggle. I was in a supermarket the other day and passing a mother and her daughter heard the mother say " put it back dear, that's for little boys".

[jim360]

It will probably remain true that girls will tend to go for "girls' toys" and boys for boys' ones. Still, labels can be a bit unhelpful at times and it's surely better to avoid the whole "you don't want that Toby, it's a giiiiiiiiirls' toy!" thing on the occasions it arises.

[mikey4444]

There are lots of toys that appeal to everybody...Lego for instance.

But, like Cloverjo, I am a but frustrated by the pink thing. Its everywhere !

[Cloverjo]

Did you see the slogan printed on a child's vest or something recently? It read "I'm too pretty to do maths."
Yuk, chuck, yik.

[mikey4444]

And a yuck from me Cloverjo ! If people are wondering why we don't have enough women engineers, scientists, etc....look to the kids upbringing !

[sunny-dave]

One of the best (if not the best) computer programmers to ever work for me was female.

If she had been brought up surrounded by pink, fluffy-wuffy things and an attitude that said "girls don't do maths" I suspect that her great talent would never have been realised.

Toys should not be gender specific - the very idea of a "girl's section" and a "boy's section" in a toy shop should have been consigned to the dustbin of history many years ago.

[Gromit]

Labelling toys gender specific makes as much sense as labelling food for men and for women specifically.

[anotheoldgit]

mikey4444

Best then to kit them out from an early age with dungarees and a spanner in their hands.

I agree children should not be dissuaded from certain things, but just let the child make up it's own mind what type of toy they play with, and then in later years what kind of career path they choose to go down.

[jim360]

Agreed -- it should be up to the child what toys he/ she plays with. But it's easier to ensure that this happens if toys aren't gender-labelled. Mainly a matter of good parenting, though, I'd say.

[anotheoldgit]

Gromit

/// Labelling toys gender specific makes as much sense as labelling food for men and for women specifically. ///

Shall we then have Gent's and Women's clothes, Male and Female cosmetic products, and magazines etc, all bunched together?

[jim360]

Well why not? Why shouldn't men be able to buy/ wear what are traditionally regarded women's clothes make-up if they like, and be able to walk about in them in public without fear of ridicule?

[anotheoldgit]

jim360

Nothing stopping a boy browsing the girl's section if they so wish, and vice-versa a girl browsing the boy's section.

[jim360]

No, nothing stopping that with respect to toys -- except that the labelling of such-and-such as a girls' toy may put the boy off being interested in that -- and certainly tends to put some parents off considering buying it even after the child's shown some interest. Labels can be at times unhelpful because they reinforce typical biases. So removing the "for girls/ boys" label can make it easier for children to have the toys they actually want (up to the usual "don't spoil the child something rotten" caveats).

[anotheoldgit]

jim360

/// Well why not? Why shouldn't men be able to buy/ wear what are traditionally regarded women's clothes make-up if they like, and be able to walk about in them in public without fear of ridicule? ///

Well then why not drop all this male and female nonsense, it's all so 'sexist'.

[youngmafbog]

I dont think it matters one jot.

Sounds like a narketing/free advertising to me.

[jim360]

We're talking about relaxing a little the social expectations of what goes along with biological appearance -- it's not getting rid of the concept of gender altogether -- just being more flexible about it is all.

[anotheoldgit]

jim360

How would a parent be able to select the correct surprise toys for Santa to bring?

I think that most boy's would be a tad disappointed to see addressed to him, a toy pram with a doll sitting in it under the Christmas Tree, even though he may on some occasions find it amusing to push his sister's toy pram around the garden.

[Gromit]

// most boy's would be a tad disappointed to see addressed to him, a toy pram with a doll sitting in it under the Christmas Tree //

Not sure they would. Kids see toys at toddler age. They don't see gender roles or any other reason not to play with a toy pram. It may amuse adults, but that is because we have had those roles put upon us all our lives.