Steriotypical gender toys

I hate them! I don't have any children myself (yet, never know the future brings, but no plans) but I hate buying toys as present for my friends children. It's all pink for girls and just stupid dolls and glittering things. The toys for boys are a bit better, it's not all blue, but they're also very stereotyped. Even when you buy books they ask "Is it for a boy or a girl?" and you just want to scream "It's for two year old, who cares?!?!?" If I ever have a girl I suppose I'll have to buy a lot of the stuff to colour clothes. I've never liked pink but there's hardly anything but pink clothes. She can't inherit my dolls though, I only ever had one, never really played with dolls. We played shop with dolls, but then the selling was the point, not taking care of the dolls. And then we played, well, not very nice games with my friends Barbie dolls ... Ended up hanging Ken out of the window a couple of times. My brother had more action figures than me, but we both had cars etc, and lots of Lego.

Hi Elfbwillow, My motto is let the children play and if that is tanks for a girl and a pretty pink doll for a boy so what. My own son had a toy kitchen which he loved to play with, he also had a poink bike as he was into pink because ofhis older sisters. I was a bit of a tom boy and had a choopper bike rather than a girls cycle, I think people are more accepting these days except for the odd ex brother in law lol. Huggles. Ellie :D

I am a primary school teacher and the parent of three children. Children learn by using their imagination and I don't think a child should be restricted to stereo typical gender toys. Right now my three years old son is looking a book and my one year old daughter is playing with a toy car. She likes my son's toy garage. He likes my daughter's dolls. A toy kitchen is suitable for girls and boys. A girl could be happy playing with a toy castle. A train set is enjoyable for boys and girls. What is important is that the toys are safe and the child has age appropriate toys. In the case of a special needs child the child might need a toy designed for a younger child. My three year old son has special needs because he is disabled.

well, i guess most men think that way. i am on a family way and my husband would pick up stuff that is colored blue or something associated with boys since our baby is a boy. I think it has something to do with how they were brought up by their parents of course and the society as a whole.

I think men are like that towards their boys a lot of times, and it is just plain ignorance on their part. I think if they would just try to read up on it they would see it is not going to hurt their son to play with a kitchen set or to feed a baby doll it's bottle. I think it is actually beneficial to them. When my granddaughter became the age to buy toys for I bought all sort of things. She has the regular girly stuff, dolls, a kitchen set, a playhouse, dollhouse, etc. and she also has toy trucks and fire engines. I don't think I will buy things like cops and robbers or anything like that, simply because I do not agree with it. My 3 month old grandson isn't really playing with toys yet, he would much rather gaze at your face or hold your finger in his hand, but when he does, I will allow him to play with his sisters things while he is at my home, though I doubt I will actually buy him a doll or kitchen set.

There are certain girl type toys that my daughter has and my son has none of them and there are certain boy type toys that my son has and my daughter doesn't have at all. I feel that it is important to allow our children to explore all of their interests and that is the reason that my children are allowed to have a variety of different toys. It doesn't bother me that my son likes to nuture a doll from time to time and it doesn't bother me that my daughter likes to pretend that she is a police officer either.

Welcome to mylot I agree with you, my grand daughter is just three she has all sorts of toys, dolls, cars, aeroplanes, builing blocks , we never differntian.. Thanks for sharing your experience in such details. Welcome always. Cheers. Professor

I think there is no problem with boys playing with dolls and girls playing with cars. When I was pregnant with my daughter I bought my son a doll so that he could learn how to be gentle and caring to a baby. My kids are allowed to play with each others toys. Children learn through play.

I agree with you. My grandson who is now 14 loved his electric hoover and brush and mop when he was about 2, and my granddaughter who is 6 (and looks very girly girl) is a real tomboy and loves all 'boy' toys. I think one of my son's favourite toys was his toy kitchen - nothing at all wrong with this.

i think it's not only your brother-in-law who does that, most of the people are stereotyping toys, why would mattel company use girls in their commercials for barbie dolls? and toy cars company use boys in their toy car commercials? this is a problem in the society and this starts at home, parents should be the first to remove stereotyping, like buying pink clothes and things for their baby girl and blue for baby boy.

i think brother in law r just typical stupid thinking b'coz i dont belive like u r brother if boy play with dolls its not a big deal is a child if he play with girl toy that don mean he become girly so dont worry about it by a times ur brother understand