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I swore long ago that I would not define toys for boys or girls. My son had his own fisherprice kitchen when he was 3 and he loved it to death. We had to have a serious come to jesus talk with him to let his little sister share it. BTW he has no interest in cooking as an adult but he loved wearing his apron and chef hat I made and puttering in his kitchen. e liked making plastic jewelry and pot holders too. The girls had trains, lincoln logs, buckets of non pink lego which they still enjoy at 11, model planes and cars.
I love this new toy but I haven't seen it in person.
I am so sick of pink everything being the default for all girls toys. Glad to see something new.
Anyone get this yet? Is it crap or is it good?
I saw this ad today. Very cool! I have a pic of daughter #2 at about 7 years old. Her blonde hair was in an adorable little bob and she was wearing a beautiful white leotard with a big pooch tutu. Around her waist was her tool belt and she was very busy building something at her workbench that Grandpa built special for her. We often shopped for her in the "boy" toys.
It's a great idea, but gets mixed reviews. I haven't seen it myself.
My kids were on an Odyssey of the Mind team a few years back, and at ages 8 through 10 they built Rube Goldberg machines. I think it's doable at that age, but my preference it for them to use found objects rather than a kit.
Sounds like a good idea, maybe it'll make its way to Finland by the time my daughter is old enough to play with it.
I hate how they make toys pink for girls, and I especially hate how it starting to rub off on my daughter already who isn't even 3 yet but thinks she should play with pink toys and princesses (she does love her tool bench though). I generally try and buy wooden toys for her which usually are plain neutral colours but its going to be harder when she gets older as the toys become even more gender segregated then.
I'm finding that my son loves building toys, Legos and the like, but my daughter is more interested in baby dolls. The other toys are available to her, but she wants people and relationships, where she is an actor in the scene (doesn't like the dollhouse--she wants to be IN the play). So we play dress up, build forts for the dolls, play school, hospital, daycare center. Then, together they love to take a part an old stereo, put the pieces back together into something else. . . go outside and ride bikes and gather acorns to show the dolls. . .Unfortunately our culture convinces us that we have to buy things to play with, and keep buying and keep buying. . . Of course the toy stores are filled with pink junk that kids don't need! What children need is creative play and lots of your time. That's all.
I have four girls. I would love to give them gender neutral or mind expanding toys - even nerdy stuff. But it all comes down to what they want, what they are marketed, what their friends have. It's tough to overcome those influences.
However, instead of buying them lots of toys (we buy them basically nothing), we spend our money on cheer, soccer, swimming, clothes, movies, etc. They seem to be OK with that knowing how expensive the cheer and swimming and soccer really is. They have skates, bikes, scooters - pretty much what every other kid has.
And we don't have TV, so that definitely cuts down on the "I want! I want". When we were on vacation and had cable in the condo, they were blown away and wanted everything in every commercial. Kinda made me miss home!
Our six year old doesn't ask for anything that her friends have except an iPad/itouch etc. and we've already told her No until she's 14 on that and she gets the picture.
It's the parents that buy the toys for their children..I can't see them refusing a girl the same toys as a boy if that's what she wants..It's up to the parents to teach their girls that they have the same opportunities in life as the boys.
It's the parents that buy the toys for their children..I can't see them refusing a girl the same toys as a boy if that's what she wants..It's up to the parents to teach their girls that they have the same opportunities in life as the boys.
While I do not disagree with the sentiment it completely ignores the fact that society has a huge influence on children. Unfortunately, someone somewhere not in my house is constantly trying to get girls to buy "girl toys". Sometimes it is commercials, sometimes it is peers, sometimes it is the marketing at the store. Parents cannot control those influences so it is nice to see some of those influences, the toy companies and marketers, begin to change their influence away from the "pink princess" mentality.
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