Breaking gender stereotypes in the toybox

[vraiblonde]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/well/family/gender-stereotypes-children-toys.html

Did you conscientiously buy dolls for your son and trucks for your daughter, or did you try to avoid the whole thing and give them both gender-neutral artisanal wooden objects, only to be shanghaied by the princess industry and superhero underpants?

Looking at how children play with toys that fall into gender stereotypes gives us a window on children’s developing sense of what goes along with being a boy or a girl.

But it can also be an important indicator of what skills young children are acquiring as they play, and of whether their academic and professional horizons are comparatively wide — or whether they are already starting to rule things out for themselves.

The libs have been doing this I was a kid - trying to get little boys and girls to be each other. "Free To Be, You and Me" anyone?

A new study suggests the potential power of words and images to counter gender stereotypes and open up what children see as possible interests and activities for themselves. And experts say that those choices are significant because they can influence the skills children learn and the possibilities they see for themselves.

This isn't a new study. They had studies like this 35 years ago when my son was a baby.

Somebody needs to tell them that this isn't the 50s and nobody restricts their kids' play to gender norms anymore. Little girls can be into cars, and that's okay. Boys can be interested in the arts and nobody thinks twice about it. It is still a fact that little girls are going to like pink and purple ponies, and boys are going to like Tonka trucks, but nobody really gives a crap if they switch it up. Most kids are encouraged to pursue whatever interests them.

But straight up, you're not going to be successful trying to market Barbie to little boys, so can we stop with these weird social experiments already?

 

[GURPS]

But straight up, you're not going to be successful trying to market Barbie to little boys, so can we stop with these weird social experiments already?

my daughter plays with legos and digs in the dirt
'girls' are boring wanting to put on dresses ...


[well she used to, now it is shooter video games with the boys]

 

[RoseRed]

my daughter plays with legos and digs in the dirt
'girls' are boring wanting to put on dresses ...


[well she used to, now it is shooter video games with the boys]

Careful. She may become the next school shooter.

 

[GURPS]

Careful. She may become the next school shooter.

naa that is only 'males'

 

[Kyle]

naa that is only 'males'

Sexist!

 

[RoseRed]

naa that is only 'males'

That, too, can change. Jus sayin...

 

[mAlice]

My grandson couldn't be less interested in girly toys. We bought him a baby doll when he was about 2. He played with it for about 2 minutes. No "mommy" instinct there. All boy. When we let him loose in TRU, he goes after boy toys.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

When I was a kid I really enjoyed playing a doctor with the girl down the street playing a nurse. Good times. Or spin-the-bottle. And if the bottle stopped and pointed to one of your guy buddies in the circle, there was always a do over because, well, "something" interfered with the bottle. But if it landed on a girl other than your chosen, it was just a peck on the cheek. Ahhhhh, again, good times. I wonder if the current crop of kids have such memorable and innocent games?

 

[SamSpade]

I think some things, you can't change in kids. We gave my son playing cards - they became cars he pushed on the floor.
We bought our daughter board games - she turned the pieces into serving trays and food items.
Without the slightest input from us, they each in turn chose roles that seemed traditional.
The boy wanted to dress up as a monster - the girl - a princess.
The boy loved to break stuff and get dirty - daughter liked to make things and clean up.

Once the son got past his need for Mommy's kisses on his boo boos - all he wanted to do was Dad things.
Yard work - haul trash to the dump - use tools.
Daughters sometimes did too - but mostly wanted to do things with Mom, like cook dinner and do crafty things.

I wouldn't go so far as to say these things are ingrained - but I do think there are normal interests for the sexes
as I have seen them. Boys need an outlet for their aggression - girls need one for their desire to express themselves.

 

[Hijinx]

I think some things, you can't change in kids. We gave my son playing cards - they became cars he pushed on the floor.
We bought our daughter board games - she turned the pieces into serving trays and food items.
Without the slightest input from us, they each in turn chose roles that seemed traditional.
The boy wanted to dress up as a monster - the girl - a princess.
The boy loved to break stuff and get dirty - daughter liked to make things and clean up.

Once the son got past his need for Mommy's kisses on his boo boos - all he wanted to do was Dad things.
Yard work - haul trash to the dump - use tools.
Daughters sometimes did too - but mostly wanted to do things with Mom, like cook dinner and do crafty things.

I wouldn't go so far as to say these things are ingrained - but I do think there are normal interests for the sexes
as I have seen them. Boys need an outlet for their aggression - girls need one for their desire to express themselves.

Everybody wants to guide kids these days. Turn them loose they will do fine on their own.

Yes when we started reaching puberty we played spin the bottle and Post Office and guess who told us of these games and suggested them.

The girls.

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

Everybody wants to guide kids these days. Turn them loose they will do fine on their own. Yes when we started reaching puberty we played spin the bottle and Post Office and guess who told us of these games and suggested them. The girls.

Never heard of "Post Office". How is that game played?

 

[vraiblonde]

Those of us who are old enough to recall, Chastity Bono appeared on her parents' show wearing frilly dresses and her hair in curls. Clearly that didn't have an affect on her gender identity, because she is now Chaz and a male.

 

[vraiblonde]

Never heard of "Post Office". How is that game played?

My generation called it "Seventh Heaven" and you had to go make out in a closet for seven minutes.

 

[RoseRed]

Those of us who are old enough to recall, Chastity Bono appeared on her parents' show wearing frilly dresses and her hair in curls. Clearly that didn't have an affect on her gender identity, because she is now Chaz and a male.

She was a cute little girl.

 

[GURPS]

My generation called it "Seventh Heaven" and you had to go make out in a closet for seven minutes.

or when you made it to 3rd base

 

[Hijinx]

If I may ...



Never heard of "Post Office". How is that game played?

The rules are sometimes changed but basically this explains it better than I

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Office_(game)

 

[LightRoasted]

If I may ...

The rules are sometimes changed but basically this explains it better than I https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Office_(game)

Ahhh. Nope, never played that one. Sounds like it was a lot of fun though.

 

[GURPS]

In his unfinished novel Answered Prayers, Truman Capote writes: "Kissing her, according to Dill, was like playing post office with a dead and rotting whale: she really did need a dentist."