Girls Toys – Sexist?

April 22, 2013

I have a question for parents of girls. How do you feel about what I consider to be sexist toys? By this I mean toy washing machines, irons, hoovers, kettles, kitchens etc etc, the list is endless.

I did on a rather spur of the moment occasion buy the girls a toy washing machine for £5 from a supermarket. However, a little while after buying it I did think, is this not a little sexist? I then remembered the other toys I saw for sale as well. All aimed at girls judging by the pink colours spilling off the shelves. I know you can buy toys for boys which may also be considered sexist such as tool boxes and work stations but do they face as big a stigma as toy irons, prams and hoovers? Are we sending out the wrong message to our children from an early age? The message being that women should cook, clean, have babies and look after the household whilst men should be out working and earning the money. What do you think?

Emily

I started Twin Mummy and Daddy in 2012.  

Over time Twin Mummy and Daddy has gone from strength to strength. I write about our family life, my love for running and our passion for adventure and travel.  

We’ve also started living a more eco-friendly life. As such I also write about our zero waste journey in a bid to encourage others to think about the impact they have on the environment.

I’m a keen runner and in April 2019 I ran the London Marathon for an amazing charity called WellChild. It’s one of my biggest achievements to date. I raised over £2,000 for the charity and learnt so much along the way.

This year we’re passionate about spending time outdoors. We’ll be sharing our travel, days out and camping adventures right here on Twin Mummy and Daddy.

2 Comments

  • Debbie Johnson

    April 22, 2013 at 9:39 am

    It's a really difficult balance. I left friends and family to gift my daughter pink things whilst trying to ensure we bought unisex toys (Happy Land, Duplo, musical instruments).
    Now with two boys, I find that not only are boys toys better but that probably it's not about unisex toys but about both boys and girls toys. So, we have a toy kitchen (it's red from ELC) and we have cars, trains and dinosaurs.
    I think the problem may be more about colour and assumed gender (by the manufacturer) but hopefully as parents we can find ways to parent both sexes as equals rather than reinforce outdated stereotypes.

    Reply

    1. Emily

      April 22, 2013 at 10:08 am

      I have found recently that boys toys are definitely better hence why I have just bought the girls a garage and some cars! I agree about the colour of toys but I think sometimes parents buy gender specific toys without thinking some times. Obviously, it is down to us as parents to teach equality x

      Reply

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