Girl toys

nunzchucks

DD is obsessed with trains so we try to go to the library once a week to play with the train table. Today, she walked over to the table and a little boy told her that "only boys can play with trains". So I said, "that's not true! Girls can play with trains, too!" and then got a dirty look from his mother.

Have any of you had this happen?

Wipz

Nope .. and I totally disagree with that idea .. if that were the case my kid shouldn't be playing house with a vacuum cleaner...and you try telling him that's a girls job.. HA !! he grabs your hand and drags you to the closet we keep our Dyson in because he wants to vacuum 6 times a day lol

Ignore it, you will come across things like that all of her life, just keep raising her to believe she can be or do anything she wants if she wants it badly enough and works for it.  Gone are the days where women are chained to the sink and  girls were denied an education because it wasn't necessary.. 

nah82

My cousin got her little girl a train table for home because she liked the one at the library so much.  I threw a Mega Blok party at the library a couple weeks ago and we had a bag of pink/yellow/purple blocks and a bag of blue/green/yellow blocks (because that is what Mega Bloks sent to use) and was surprised when two of the boys requested the pink ones.  I just said, "Yeah, that's a pretty color, isn't it?" as I handed them some.  My boys like to play with the train table, but they also like to play with the dollhouse.

My 4 year old son put on ALL the sequined clothes out of the dress-up bin at preschool last month and likes to play dinosaurs in the dollhouse, but he told me something was only a "girl" toy yesterday that he had previously played with, I don't remember what it was.  I reminded him that he had enjoyed playing with it just a couple weeks ago.  I think it might be something that happens at his age, though, when they start to notice differences between boys and girls.

I don't get the dirty look from the other mom, especially since all the library toys are there for all the kids to use, so you would want to encourage them to share or take turns with whatever it was, be it trains, blocks, puppets or baby dolls.

nunzchucks

@namcgee I think she was mad I pseudo-disciplined her kid? I don't know.

Wipz

Maybe she is just one of "THOSE" parents who are pushy about what is ok for a boy or a girl in case anyone thinks her kid is weird for playing with"GIRL" stuff... some parents are terrified that if they let boys play dress up or with girly toys that they will grow up to be gay.. sad, but it still happens.  

Sorry but I totally expect my young man to grow up knowing how to sew a button on, cook clean and do everything else necessary to survive in life...if he is lucky enough to one day meet someone special and start a life he should have a partner not a second momma. If I had a little girl, sure as hell she'd be growing up the exact same way. 

These train tables are way too much fun for everyone.. not just little boys LOL... my DH's honorary Aunt is in her 40's and when she found out we bought him one her first comment was.. " when can I come round and play" ... and she is ex military, with a high security govt job...

Let kids be kids .. growing up and conforming to the " socially acceptable norms "comes fast enough.  This is their time to experiment and use their imaginations and have free play without being made to feel self conscious. Who in there right mind would want to cage these free spirits and mold them into drones .. half the fun of having kids is the hilarious adventures along the way

..and how else do we get to make fun of them on their wedding day haha

nunzchucks

Hahahaha @mrscjmb9410!

Wipz

Thats F'in hilarious

Zimger

I would have said the same thing had I been in your shoes.

girl toys/boy toys...a ridiculous notion. Kids love to imitate and explore everything at this age.

eyenigh

I think at this age, to them, there are no girls or boys toys-- anything's up for grabs!

krispy83

Definitely would have said the same thing!  I'm amazed in this day and age that people still have those kinds of gender stereotypes attached to those kinds of toys.  But I've seen it as well.. I actually ruled out a daycare because the provider mentioned something about encouraging the girls to sit and play quietly and letting the boys be more rambunctious.  Uh, no.  Girls need to run around as well, and there are times when DS needs to sit an play quietly.  You can bet if we'd had a girl she'd be running, jumping, climbing, etc. just as much as DS.

nunzchucks

@krscrp83 I'm shocked a daycare would do that!! They'd be off my list, too!

krispy83

LilNunz1 said:

@krscrp83 I'm shocked a daycare would do that!! They'd be off my list, too!

I was stunned.  I wound up cutting the interview short and bailing pretty quickly.  It totally weirded me out.