As a parent, do you get that uneasy feeling when your child plays with or asks for a toy that is perceived as inappropriate for his or her gender?
Many of us do. And it’s not because we think there’s something wrong with our child - surely we’ve outgrown any fear that the “wrong” toy could make our child gay (gasp!).
Our uneasiness is most likely tied to social norms.
Will the other kids make fun of Johnny for taking his favorite doll everywhere he goes?
Will the other moms not ask Jane over for playdates if she likes to bring her monster trucks and train sets?
It’s time to stop letting marketing departments shape our children’s identities. Parents need to take an active role in deconstructing the girl toy-boy toy myth.
The Push for Toy Equality is Under Way
The decision-makers are fortunately starting to understand that pushing boys towards different toys than girls isn’t serving them well.
In 2015, Target made the decision to stop labeling certain aisles as girl toy aisles, and others as boy toy aisles.
The fact that they suffered some backlash over this decision tells us we still have a long way to go before we get it right.
But at least we talking about it, and some big players are starting to do something about it.
In 2016, the White House held a conference on Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes in Media and Toys so that Our Children Can Explore, Learn, and Dream Without Limits.
The press release related to the conference stated that to close gender gaps in the workforce, “children need to be exposed to diverse toy models and taught a variety of skills so they can develop their talents and pursue their passions without limits, and so that we as a nation can meet the needs of our economy in the coming years.”
Organizations like Let Toys Be Toys have a mission to convince retailers to end the categorization of toys and books as boy or girl.
Why the Girl Toy-Boy Toy Distinction Matters
It’s a little sobering to think that how a toddler toy is marketed to effects the career path they choose, but certainly the White House comments recognize how early your child’s path can be set.
And the differences in “boy” and “girl” toys is drastic.
A study by the National Association for the Education of Young Children found the girl toys to be associated with “physical attractiveness, nurturing, and domestic skill.”
The boy toys on the other hand, were characterized as “violent, competitive, exciting, and somewhat dangerous.”
But children need the skills both “boy” and “girl” toys help instill.
Dolls teach empathy and how to care for another person. No one would question a father pushing a stroller down the street, a fact that makes questioning a young boy pushing his doll in a stroller seem ridiculous.
Dolls and pretend kitchen and other household play sets help children learn cognitive sequencing of events and language skills.
Legos, blocks, and puzzles help with spatial skills that are the foundation for learning math principals in school. Such principals are often the cornerstone for the more traditionally thought of male-dominated jobs.
The Gender Distinction is a Fallacy
But maybe girls naturally gravitate towards Barbie, and boys towards Hot Wheels?
Research shows otherwise.
Young children show no preference for toys based on the gender they are marketed as.
In fact, if a girl sees a group of girls playing with a truck, research shows the girl will be more likely to play with it and see it as a “girl” toy.
A study conducted with a group of children ages 4 through 9 showed that when given unfamiliar toys in boxes labeled “boy” or “girl” toys, the girls played with the toys in the girl box, while the boys played with the boxes in the boy box.
Interestingly, the study also showed that the children remembered the whether items were labeled by the researchers as “boy” or “girl.”
The good news is this shows we have the power to change the inappropriate stereotyping by simply directing our children towards gender neutral environments and letting them choose the toys that interest them.
Kids Party Characters is Here to Help
At KidsPartyCharacters.com, we have over 200 characters to choose from as your child’s special guest for his or her party, and you’ll find no boy or girl section on our website.
Let you child choose her favorite. We’ll happily put on an exciting Spiderman show for your little girl, or a magical princess show for your little boy. It’s all the same fun to us!
When you book your next party through KidsPartyCharacters.com, not only do you have about any character imaginable to choose from, we can also handle all the extras like face painting, balloon twisting, and cotton candy.
Get an idea of how much fun your child’s next party will be with KidsPartyCharacters.com by joining us on Facebook for daily updates.
No comments:
Post a Comment