What are your thoughts on gender bias toys - (Stereotypes)

MommyToAshley wrote: Ashley and I went to a garage sale and she had 50 cents in her purse to spend on whatever she picked out. Well, she picked out one of those hotwheel ramps that has a ramp on each side and the hotwheels race down. I tried to talk her into a smaller toy (just for space reasons) but she insisted on this toy.

When she went to pay, the lady asked if she had a brother at home. Ashley said "no". Then, the lady asked if she liked cars and this toy was for her. And, Ashley said "yes". "So", the lady said, "You are a tomboy" and Ashley said, "No, I'm a girl" (I dont think she knows what tomboy means) So, I interrupted and said that she doesn't discriminate she likes all sorts of toys. I don't see anything wrong with a girl playing with cars or a boy playing with a doll. (Ashley happens to like both and I don't discourage her one way or the other) I'm usually pretty easy going, but for some reason, this lady just irritated me. If Ashley hadn't liked the toys so much I would have cancelled the sale.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Some people are so RUDE!!!! I am with you, kids should be allowed to play with whatever toy makes them HAPPY!ISN'T THAT WHAT PLAYING IS ALL ABOUT---BEING HAPPY?????[/CODE] Sometimes it is not what is said it is HOW it is said that irritates you~oh well I say have fun with the hotwheels! 50 cents is a great deal!

kimberley replied: that totally irritates me! my ex was like that when the boys were small. Jacob liked playing kitchen or with babies and his dad was constantly taking them away and shoving a ball in his hand..grrrr . we have no qualms about Jade playing with boy toys or the boys playing with hers. kids are kids... geez!

kayla's mama replied: OMG how rude!!! I grew up playing with GI Joe Army Dudes, with the apache helicopter, Loved it. I also played with little race cars. I had a Richard Petty car. So what does it matter what she wants to play with. As long as she is happy and having fun. That lady should have kept her trap shut

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: This comes up a lot in my family now that we have a boy...since Wil is the first grandSON. And it irritates the heck out of me! My mother does this without thinking. My dad too. I suppose they grew up in a different generation and I'm not one to put them down for what their used too, but my father always makes remarks like "Yep, he's definitely A BOY!" or "He's suuuuuch a boy. He's totally different than his cousins (girls)". Or I will tell my mom that Wil is doing something new like crawling out of his crib and she says "Oh no, must just be a BOY thing."

I find it "cute" that my parents are excited to have a different gender in the family. And that they actually get a kick out of buying trucks and trikes rather than Barbie. But I may just say something if they EVER tell Wil he can't play with something because it's what they would consider too "girly".

I'm thankful DH is not afraid of his sensitive side. He has never made any remark about "being a man" and I would be floored if it ever came up when Wil gets older.

I would have told the woman off as well, but I imagine she didn't mean any harm by it.

JessC replied: WOW she said that? To a little girl?

I think its totally fine by me, my niece comes over to my moms house and plays with my little brothers pokemon guys, hey whatever makes a kid happy and enjoy the times of being a kid. - Oh I miss those days...

Boys r us replied: Braedon plays with tractors and in the dirt and hot wheels and stuffed animals that he "feeds" and takes care of and loves and also he has a boy cabbage patch kid and he also has an african american babydoll that is a little girl..he truly does play with all of types of toys and Rick and I both encourage it! I think it's healthy!

mummy2girls replied: TYhere is nothing wrong with that at all! I hate when people do this! jenna is a major priss and she likes to play in the sand with cars as well:) and her cdousin who just loves to sit in dirt and play with bugs and such likes to play with dolls as well.. so there is nothing wrong with that!

gr33n3y3z replied: The lady was rude for making that comment

When I was little I would play with those big Tonka Trucks over dolls

boobies4virtue replied: My daughter loves cars. The foster boy that I had loved his kitchen sat and he liked to put his bears and dolls in little chairs and feed them. I see no problem with either. I think that when little girls play with cars, trucks, sports, etc... they will learn to be more independant and athletic. When boys play with kitchen sets, dolls, toy vacuums, it teaches them to be more nurturing, teaches them that it's ok for a boy to cook and clean and help take care of the kids. I think it's good for everyone.

ediep replied: ooohhh, i would have been so mad too!!. Jasons friends that are girls LOVE his hot wheels and the raceway thing too. Jason also has a play kitchen and he loves that too. I think 2-3 years old is wwaaayyyy too young to know the difference between boy/girl things. They just know what they like.

booey2 replied: Okay how old was that lady? Anyway, Matthew got a little tykes kitchen for like his 2nd birthday or christmas or something like that from my mom and he loves it. Thomas plays with it all the time too. They have a blast. My BIL didn't quite grasp the idea that boys can play with a kitchen set, I was like hello some of the greatest chef's in the world are men.

luvbug00 replied: Mya loves that too the hot wheeles things. We have ramps all over the place! That was soo rude of that lady!!

TANNER'S MOM replied: Well..Tanner has a doll he sleeps with..Tommy. I need to take a pic.

My boys are very manly..but I have never had a problem with them playing w/ dolls etc. I read a study once that said that boys who played "house" and played all roles, mommy and daddy were greater assets later in life..and weren't afraid to take the parenting lead role??

The girls play w/ the boys toys..,more now to just make them scream. But yes I have CROSSED genders w/ toys.. and none of my kids are strange or different.

mammag replied: I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. When Conner was little he would go into Kristen's room and put on her dress up clothes (like a pink tutu ) and walk around and liked to watch Nutcracker (of course he wore the tutu and got his sword to pretend to be the nutcracker anyway...). Chris would get mad and tell me not to let him put that on. I didn't see any harm in it because he still liked to play with boy toys as well. Well let me tell you, he is the more agressive "manly" boy of the two older ones.

I'm sure she didn't mean any harm but sometimes people should think about what they say before they say it.

Jamielou replied: My girls and my sisters girls love hot wheel cars and the towns that you can drive them in they have a huge box full of cars......and my fiance's oldest boy loves to watch him cook and even watches food network at 7 years old i think he is going to be a chef. I dont see a problem with it at all but like Rae said maybe her girls have always liked the real girly things or something and maybe she just didnt realize that some girls do like boy toys. I personally let mine play with whatever they want.

Jamielou replied:
That is so cute

My2Beauties replied: I don't see a problem with girls playing with "boy" toys and vice versa. When I was little I had a huge set of those matchbox cars, I played with them everyday, I had a carrying case for them, each car had it's own spot, I played with them so much that that is all my parents bought me for like 6 months was cars. Then I got into micro machines too! LOL! I encourage Hanna to play with whatever, she has a tool builder set that she plays with and she has baby dolls too. If I ever have a little boy I won't care if he plays with Hanna's dolls or kitchen set - they just want to play, she sees daddy doing housework and stuff as well as fixing things too, so she doesn't realize playing with dolls is a girl thing and hammering is a boy thing. Brian even plays dolls with her, he feeds the baby and rocks the baby for her - it's the cutest thing you have ever seen

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
Lol me too! I loved playing with my matchbox cars. And I also loved playing with my dolls - I was half girly girl and half tomboy.

Insanemomof3 replied: I HATE stereotypes. Unfortunatly it is everywhere. But my kids get what ever kind of toy they want. AND to top it off, Tristan gets to pick out his own underwear for potty training. It is a treat. Well the other day, looking at big boy undies, there were some Little Mermaid undies (or some princess like that) and he HAD to have them. So that is what he got. He adores them. LOL

But IMO, society focuses too much on "girl" things and "boy" things.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: My favorite "dolls" when I was little were He-Man figures. I loved Battle-Cat. I am such a geek.

b&bsmom replied: When I was younger I played with cars and loved Richard Petty. Everything I did was Richard Petty colors or numbers. I played softball but I also did dance and bowling. My kids my dd is into dance and girl stuff horses mostly but she also loves Dale Jr. and race cars her room is a mix of Dale Jr and ballerinas. My son loves to play dress up and pretty pretty princess. He has two dolls ( both are boys) named Fred and baby. He likes to carry around my daughters American Girl doll. Once we were at a fair and my daughter had performed with her dance class. Their dance called for a doll so she had her AG doll dressed in her pink tutu. Well after she was done we went to go on some rides and my son decided to carry the doll. My dd was up ahead with my dh and an older man saw my ds carrying this doll in the pink tutu and laughed. It was kinda funny because it was in it's ballet outfit but still rude to laugh like that. Good for you for letting her get what she wants. Sometimes people just don't think.

MM'sMama replied: Oh that would have really erked me as well !! Brice has a boy Cabbage Patch Kid that looks like him (meaning dirty blond hair and blue eyes) that he picked out. And DH and I are just fine with that infact we encourage it we both think its a wonderful thing. And he has hot wheels as well so I yes we are all for both! I hope Ashley is having a blast !!!

NummyMommy replied: I was a total tomboy when I was a girl.....always in a tree, always dirty, sporty, and wild. I was just as sensitive too....me and my best friend made boats for bugs to ride in whenever someone washed their car and flooded the alley I think if you limit the toys you give kids to "gender specific" toys then you are limiting their ability to live full rich lives and be good parents. I say give 'em choices!

redchief replied: BAH! Whoever said Hotwheels were just for boys? Erin LOVED cars. John played with the girls toys as well as his own and they all shared. Rick only had "boys' toys" but that's only because he was so much older than his female siblings. Kaitlin got to pick from all of her predecessors' leavings as well as having her own things, though she did and still prefers stuffed animals. Let 'em play and learn with anything that makes them happy (and is safe) I say!!!

moped replied: Awwww, that wan't very nice of her.......I agree with you on this one. Play with whatever makes you happy

ammommy replied: I have to admit that I'm a bit of a hypocrit. I have no problem with Megan playing with "boy" toys, but cringe when Alec wants to play with dolls. Then I give myself a mental slap and let him have fun. It's been a hard bias to overcome, but it hardly phases me anymore.

mommy_loves_chase replied: i think kids should be able to play with whatever they want that would have bugged me too

Warbride replied: I'm totally a bad girl I didn't play with dolls growing up, I played with cars and G.I. Joes. I had 2 older brothers and 2 cousins both boys, I was the only girl for a long time. I did have dolls, just didn't play with them. I'm still a tomboy, I wear jeans almost constantly, and the only show I watch on a regular basis is Stargate. I play video games. But I do like to sew. That's the only girly thing I do. I don't even have lots of shoes, just 1 pair work shoes, 1 pair tennis shoes, and 1 pair dress shoes. Yeah, I'm a tomboy

MomToJade&Jordan replied: Jade LOVES cars. She has a whole bunch, but she will also play with her dolls as well. I see nothing wrong with that and I think that lady was rude. I always tell people that Jade is well-rounded. She likes to shop, but she also likes to play in the dirt. I used to play with my brothers toys and vice versa when we were little.