Toys for boys and girls.

[catnapper]

My mom and dad are having a huge arguement over the Christmas gift she bought my nephew. Dad says its a "girl" gift, and mom says that now they try to teach boys to be sweet and emotional. The gift is a Fur Real Pet, for those of you not in the know, its a stuffed animal that you feed, and it hugs you, etc. Its cute, but is it appropriatefor a little boy? I have no idea. I just saw the box, and there's pictures of little GIRLS holding it and playing with it, only one token boy photo and he was just looking at his sister playing with it.

This whole "dilemma" has got me wondering, what does everyone think of kiddie toys.... is it ok for a boy to play with dolls and do things typically deemed as "girly"? My mom also got my nephew fake food to play in his little Playhouse kitchen. Dad is really not liking that one :p

Do you think we need to keep the lines clear" boy and girl? Or do you think we do need to make kids more even?

I honestly have no opinion on this! LOL

[CathyBogart]

I know several little boys who I think would love a toy like that - my 15 year old brother included! If he's gonna like it, no worries! My brother used to play with barbies as a kid....he outgrew it eventually, but we never bothered him about it, and he turned into a really awesome kid. :)

[CagneyDog]

If a boy would like to play with that I see no problem. :)

[grybai]

I really hate how certain toys are marketed for boys or girls. It's all about how little boys are supposed to be tough and active and dirty while girls sweet and tender and into fashion and body image. When I have a kid I'm letting him or her get whatever toy they want. Marketing perscribes boys as being aggressive and girls as submissive and I personally think it's time to break down gender roles. It seems to be a bigger issue with little boys I think, that if they play with a feminine toy like a doll they will be demasculized and end up gay which is just plain outrageous. I don't know, but I only played with dolls and loved pink as a little girl and I still ended up a lesbian.

[Uabassoon]

I hate how people make such a big deal over childrens toys. If a little boy likes to play with his easy bake oven it doesn't mean he's going to be gay or turn into a sissy man when he grows up. It simply means that he enjoys his easy bake oven, and maybe in 20 years he'll keep his love for cooking and turn into quite a catch.

At a young age children don't really understand the difference between toys that are for boys and toys that are for girls, they only know what we teach them. Boys that play with dolls and stuffed animals still turn out just as normal as boys who play with toy cars.

Telling a child that they can or cannot play with a certain toy because it's considered gender specific can be much more damaging to a child than just letting them play. They eventually start to feel that these things are bad or wrong which can lead into adulthood. For example you tell a little boy that he can't play house or play with dolls because that's what girls do. It still effects them as they mature and they sometimes start to believe that it's wrong for a man to take on traditional womens roles such as doing housework or taking care of the children.

Our culture still has so many issues when boys want to play with toys that are considered feminine. However if a little girl wants to play with trucks or g.i. joe's she's considered tough and no one looks down on it.

So... I say give your nephew the toy, I'm sure he'll love it.

[Karen]

I think every child should be exposed to all sorts of choices - that way he OR she can decide what s/he likes! And Just as playing with dolls doesn't make a boy any less manly, neither does playing with trucks make a girl any less womanly!

[caseysmom]

I never encouraged my girls to play with barbie's, I would rather see them more interested in other things than an impossible image to try to live up to. If I had a boy I would have no problem with that toy, maybe a lot of men would be more sensitive if they weren't stereotyped to be tough.

[G.P.girl]

i think kids should be allowed to play with whatever they want. people say, oooh if he plays with barbies then he'll grow up gay. well, i really doubt the barbie is going to turn him gay and if he wants to play with barbies because he's gay then he's already gay and theres nothign to do about it. i just think people read in to toys to much, when really all kids wanna do is play and have fun.

[Barbara]

When I was a kid I loved to play with guns etc. Doesn't mean I have one now and it doesn't mean I would shoot somebody today.
Let everyone play with whatever they want. ;)

[Lady's Human]

Aside from Barbies, which I won't let into the house for either child, If the kid is interested in it/wants to play with it, then fine. I tend to prefer non tech toys, but hey, if it stimulates the childs mind, I'm all for it.