Sunday, April 6, 2014

Gender specific toys

I don't understand with all of the fuss is with Gender Specific Toys. Years ago there were certain toys that were made for specifically for girls and certain toys made for boys. Things have changed over the years and toys are just toys for the children to play with. Toy companies need to get with the times. Marketing to just one group is just wrong. Why cant they market to both girls and boys?

On TV today I saw a commercial for a Disney App. In the commercial a boy was playing with a Sofia the First game on his tablet. Then they showed another boy playing with a Doc McStuffin game  on another tablet. I was so glad the Disney has taken steps to show that boys also like Sofia and Doc McStuffin. Both of these shows are excellent and my son LOVES them. They both have wonderful messages at the end. They also have a big following by boys too.

Some companies have now added toys to change with the times . It is about time.  There is an easy bake oven geared to boys and I also saw a Nerf bow and arrow geared to girls. Legos also put out a collection for girls. Play kitchens use to be associated with girls but now there are some kitchens that have a more masculine look for boys. Years ago only a women cooked. That was in the 50's and 60's. Which toy kitchens were made to emulate moms at home. Today men are in the kitchen just as much as women. Boys could be just as good as girls in the kitchen. Hello, men chefs.

I have heard so many horror stories about people out with their children and people saying to them, "That is a girls toy" or "That is a boy toy". Children do not know the difference. All they know is that that is a toy they like to play with. My wife had that same experience with my son. He has the Doc McStuffin Doll. If you do not know about Doc McStuffin she is a cartoon on Disney Junior. She is an African American girl who is 8 years old.  Her mom is a doctor and she plays doctor to help sick or broken toys. Her stethoscope makes the toys come to life. Her office is in her playhouse. My wife explained to the women that Peter really likes the show and the doll. The women would not let up on my wife which was getting her really mad. My wife had enough and replied, He is learning to be a really daddy not a babies daddy.

Hopefully one day all toy companies will get with the trend of selling and marketing toys to all children not gender specific and people in general will see them as just toys.




1 comment:

  1. I'm in my sixties! My dad was a chef, my grandmother stood elbow to elbow with my grandfather swinging her own hammer and my grandfather cooked. Gender specific? What's that?

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