Gender neutral kids clothes/toys.

freshpopcorn

I suppose I have only heard of this really in the past few years.
I know the singer Pink is into it.
When I was younger I can never remember any guys saying they felt unforgettable in there boys clothes and they wanted to wear a dress and the same with girls my age.
Now at times guys played with girls toys and boys played with boys toys and their wasn't much thought of it but in generally people stuck to the norm.
There was also plenty of guys into baking and girls into and their was nothing thought of it. It was just what people liked.
Could we be in for a future that shops won't have ladies/mens sections and just clothes?
Is it here to stay or is it a fad?

El Weirdo

Alan's fact of the day:

Pink used to be considered a boy's colour.

andekwarhola

Most kids, obv not all, tend to be conformist when they're young, despite the fantasies of some parents who just see children as a political and cultural extension of themselves to wheel out to the world.

Just go with whatever they want even if it seems 'stereotypical' and be cool with whatever they choose to do when they actually want to make independent choices.

And by independent choices, I don't mean boasting to your Educate Together mates that your 7 year old is, like, really into 'deviating from the norm' (read: validating my cultural choices).

KwackerJack

Gender neutral toys....are we really that ****ed in the head as so sensitive.

Let kids be bloody kids

Mysterypunter

KwackerJack wrote: »

Gender neutral toys....are we really that ****ed in the head as so sensitive.

Let kids be bloody kids

Agree 100%

The_Valeyard

KwackerJack wrote: »

Gender neutral toys....are we really that ****ed in the head as so sensitive.

Let kids be bloody kids

People will invent problems anywhere to get attention.

Vladimir Poontang

Toys are toys. I've yet to see any kid refuse to play with a toy because it might be aimed towards one sex or the other.

Parents that use their kids to score political points are ***** by the way.

GLaDOS

My 3 year old Nephew loves to dress up as a princess. He also likes to play with cars and dinosaurs.

Kids don't care what they're supposed to like.

Will I Am Not

When I was in primary school, 2 lads in my class got the Bluebird A La Carte kitchen for Christmas. Both turned out to be gay. I think that’s why it was taken off the market.

The_Valeyard

We could make the toy guns sparkly pink and tea cups camaflauge colours?

freshpopcorn

I just find the world is obsessed with labels!

The_Valeyard

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I just find the world is obsessed with labels!

Is there a label for that?

freshpopcorn

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Is there a label for that?

Labeling?

The_Valeyard

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Labeling?

Labelitis?

JohnMc1

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I just find the world is obsessed with labels!

Only the people who are obsessed with identity politics.

fattymuatty

KwackerJack wrote: »

Gender neutral toys....are we really that ****ed in the head as so sensitive.

Let kids be bloody kids

Gender neutral toys are about letting kids be kids and not imposing our prejudice about what is a 'boys toy' and what is a 'girls toy'. If you walk into any toy shop it is really obvious which toys are being pushed at boys and which are being being pushed at girls.

By removing the boys and the blueness from the front of a science toy you will find more girls also picking up the science toy, that can only be a good thing right? If you remove the pink and the butterflies from the front of a craft set more boys will pick it up, also a good thing right?

No one is trying to stop boys playing with cars or girls from playing with dolls, they are just saying play with whatever you want, nothing is specifically for boys and nothing is specifically for girls. Again, I don't see how that is a bad thing.

kunst nugget

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I suppose I have only heard of this really in the past few years.
I know the singer Pink is into it.
When I was younger I can never remember any guys saying they felt unforgettable in there boys clothes and they wanted to wear a dress and the same with girls my age.
Now at times guys played with girls toys and boys played with boys toys and their wasn't much thought of it but in generally people stuck to the norm.
There was also plenty of guys into baking and girls into and their was nothing thought of it. It was just what people liked.
Could we be in for a future that shops won't have ladies/mens sections and just clothes?
Is it here to stay or is it a fad?

Are you going for a gender neutral there/their/they're?

Also, if boys felt unforgettable in their boys clothes, I'm sure they wouldn't have felt any need for a dress.

Gender neutral clothes might work well for kids or skinny adults but a beer-bellied, obese fecker is going to look rotten in a grey smock.

Grayson

KwackerJack wrote: »

Gender neutral toys....are we really that ****ed in the head as so sensitive.

Let kids be bloody kids

This is non gender neutral lego



Whereas the lego we've had for years is now boys lego.

I find it stranger that there should be gender specific versions of lego than there should be non gender specific versions.

andekwarhola

fattymuatty wrote: »

Gender neutral toys are about letting kids be kids and not imposing our prejudice about what is a 'boys toy' and what is a 'girls toy'. If you walk into any toy shop it is really obvious which toys are being pushed at boys and which are being being pushed at girls.

By removing the boys and the blueness from the front of a science toy you will find more girls also picking up the science toy, that can only be a good thing right? If you remove the pink and the butterflies from the front of a craft set more boys will pick it up, also a good thing right?

No one is trying to stop boys playing with cars or girls from playing with dolls, they are just saying play with whatever you want, nothing is specifically for boys and nothing is specifically for girls. Again, I don't see how that is a bad thing.

Any toy can be 'gender neutral' if you let the child decide what they want to play with.

What about boys that just like toy cars and girls that like dolls. Do you forbid them to play with them? That's as stupid as telling either kid they can't play with each others toys.

The pushing angle is also overstated. It usually boils down to adults going wah, I don't like, I don't want to see.

Let the kid decide themselves.

I'm all for affirmative prejudice when it's about something actually important like challenging orthodox norms that damage others but this, like so much in the online political landscape, is hare-brained identity politics.

JohnMc1

Grayson wrote: »

This is non gender neutral lego



Whereas the lego we've had for years is now boys lego.

I find it stranger that there should be gender specific versions of lego than there should be non gender specific versions.

I remember the good ole days when Lego was just Lego.

LirW

I usually don't care about gender neutral anything but since I have a little girl it's hard to find anything to wear for her in High street shops that's not pink and has flowers/kittens/bunnies on it.
It's also nice having something to play for her that's not entirely pink, I'm getting a proper pinkphobia here. When you have a boy it's not that difficult, even though everything is blue-ish but it's not as much of an eye sore.

Neyite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWu44AqF0iI

Here's an interesting experiment. The BBC dressed babies in the opposite sex's clothes and got random adults to play with them from an array of toys.

It's the adults subconsciously treating the sexes differently according to perceived sex even if they think they don't.

kunst nugget

I've two daughters - one a hoodie wearing proto-emo artist and one a barbie-obsessed ballerina soccer player. I've bought things that they wanted and interested them and never forced anything on them. They're young once - why I would restrict what they enjoy to satisfy my socio-political outlook.

fattymuatty

andekwarhola wrote: »

Any toy can be gender neutral if you let the child decide what they want to play with.

What about boys that just like toy cars and girls that like dolls. Do you forbid them to play with them? That's as stupid as telling either kid they can't play with each others toys.

I'm all for affirmative prejudice when it's about something actually important like challenging orthodox norms that damage others but this, like so much in the online political landscape is hare-brained identity politics.

But kids don't live in a vacuum. Kids pick up that certain things are 'for boys' and certain things are 'for girls'. When they walk into a toy shop and see that the dolls are in a pink package with a picture of a cute little blonde girl cradling the doll on the box, maybe a few butterflies for good measure boys think this toy isn't for kids like me. And if despite all the messages telling them that this toy isn't for kids like them they still want it they can feel like there is something different or 'wrong' about themselves. Kids want to fit in, it's natural they do. It is all well and good saying the boy could pick it up anyway, of course they can but will they?

Having such strict gender roles is damaging kids. You only need to look at the amount of kids who question whether they are actually a boy or a girl because they don't like the things girls/boys are 'supposed' to like. Kids should be kids, they should feel like they can pick up anything in a toy shop/clothes shop that they like without feeling like it is a reflection some how on their sex.

Why not make it easier for any kid to pick up any toy without feeling like they are going against what is 'normal' for a kid of their sex?

And no, you don't forbid anyone from playing with anything, that's the whole point. Toys are toys, there are no boy toys and girl toys play with whatever you want, if a girl picks a doll cool, if a boy picks a doll cool.

kunst nugget

LirW wrote: »

I usually don't care about gender neutral anything but since I have a little girl it's hard to find anything to wear for her in High street shops that's not pink and has flowers/kittens/bunnies on it.
It's also nice having something to play for her that's not entirely pink, I'm getting a proper pinkphobia here. When you have a boy it's not that difficult, even though everything is blue-ish but it's not as much of an eye sore.

I genuinely don't think it's as much of an issue with boys clothes or toys - the boys aisles in toy stores are not as much the uniform colour like the sea of pink that girls aisles are.

davo2001

fattymuatty wrote: »

If you walk into any toy shop it is really obvious which toys are being pushed at boys and which are being being pushed at girls.

Yes, it's called marketing.

Tenigate

I was getting my niece a doll for christmas in Smyths.
There were shelves full of these chunky "our generation" dolls.
https://www.smythstoys.com/ie/en-ie/toys/fashion-and-dolls/our-generation/our-generation-holiday-hope-doll-46cm/p/148854

I'll sure they'd suit a gender neutral boy that's into Amy Schumer.

fattymuatty

davo2001 wrote: »

Yes, it's called marketing.

Wow, what an insightful comment :rolleyes:

kunst nugget

fattymuatty wrote: »

But kids don't live in a vacuum. Kids pick up that certain things are 'for boys' and certain things are 'for girls'. When they walk into a toy shop and see that the dolls are in a pink package with a picture of a cute little blonde girl cradling the doll on the box, maybe a few butterflies for good measure boys think this toy isn't for kids like me. And if despite all the messages telling them that this toy isn't for kids like them they still want it they can feel like their is something different or 'wrong' about themselves. Kids want to fit in, it's natural they do. It is all well and good saying the boy could pick it up anyway, of course they can but will they?

The issue is the almost strict orthodoxy of marketing all girl's toys as pink and the reason the toy companies do this is because of the parents and adults buying the toys not the kids - they know that making their toy pink will make it an easier sell. It's not near as big an issue with boy's toys. Let's be honest, it's not the toy company's job to make your child feel better about themselves - that's your job. If you think your son might want to play with a doll, be perceptive to that and buy it for them if you think that's what you think they want.

fattymuatty wrote: »

Having such strict gender roles is damaging kids. You only need to look at the amount of kids who question whether they are actually a boy or a girl because they don't like the things girls/boys are 'supposed' to like. Kids should be kids, they should feel like they can pick up anything in a toy shop/clothes shop that they like without feeling like it is a reflection some how on their sex.

What amount of kids are acting like this? I'd surely know some if it was a large amount…

fattymuatty wrote: »

Why not make it easier for any kid to pick up any toy without feeling like they are going against what is 'normal' for a kid of their sex?

Unless you create a world where we bring in a system of plain packaging for toys along the lines of cigarette packaging, toy companies are going to target audiences for maximum profit. If they think pink is going to give them the best success for their product, they are going to use it. They are not going to make it all white in the hope of targeting that one tween questioning their sexuality in the shop.

silverharp

Sonics2k

KwackerJack wrote: »

Gender neutral toys....are we really that ****ed in the head as so sensitive.

Let kids be bloody kids

You mean like Lego?

What's wrong with Lego? Why are we hating on Lego?

Sonics2k

Grayson wrote: »

This is non gender neutral lego



Whereas the lego we've had for years is now boys lego.

I find it stranger that there should be gender specific versions of lego than there should be non gender specific versions.

That's just a pink box of lego though. Where does it say "For Girls"

fattymuatty

kunst nugget wrote: »

The issue is the almost strict orthodoxy of marketing all girl's toys as pink and the reason the toy companies do this is because of the parents and adults buying the toys not the kids - they know that making their toy pink will make it an easier sell. It's not near as big an issue with boy's toys. Let's be honest, it's not the toy company's job to make your child feel better about themselves - that's your job. If you think your son might want to play with a doll, be perceptive to that and buy it for them if you think that's what you think they want.

Again, kids don't live in a vacuum. I have kids and the minute they start school the opinion of their peers and wanting to fit in becomes more important and influential than their mom saying play with whatever you want. Of course some kids will march to their own beat but most just want to be like everyone else.

kunst nugget wrote: »

Unless you create a world where we bring in a system of plain packaging for toys along the lines of cigarette packaging, toy companies are going to target audiences for maximum profit. If they think pink is going to give them the best success for their product, they are going to use it. They are not going to make it all white in the hope of targeting that one tween questioning their sexuality in the shop.

And some companies think that making 'gender neutral' toys will bring them a profit, hence why it is becoming a thing and there are people on here moaning about it

HappyAsLarE

Why are we trying to remove the differences between genders?

_Kaiser_

Sonics2k wrote: »

That's just a pink box of lego though. Where does it say "For Girls"

Ah come on.. I know these topics tend to draw people who seem to live in a utopian bubble, but it's quite obvious that is aimed at girls - the colour, the little lego girl figures, the cute little dog, the little house... and y'know what? There's nothing wrong with that either.

HappyAsLarE wrote: »

Why are we trying to remove the differences between genders?

Exactly.. in the real world there ARE differences between the sexes, men are better/more suited to some things and women to others etc.... and so what?

This is the result of too much social media and bored traditional media legitimising it - every notion that stems from some (usually US based) eejit with a Twitter account has the potential to go "viral" (an objective in and of itself) and further perpetuate the idea that far more support this "new thinking" than actually do.

Ireland is probably among the worst for it - we seem to soak up the absolute worst of US/UK "culture" and adopt it as our own.

Grayson

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Ah come on.. I know these topics tend to draw people who seem to live in a utopian bubble, but it's quite obvious that is aimed at girls - the colour, the little lego girl figures, the cute little dog, the little house... and y'know what? There's nothing wrong with that either.



Exactly.. in the real world there ARE differences between the sexes, men are better/more suited to some things and women to others etc.... and so what?

This is the result of too much social media and bored traditional media legitimising it - every notion that stems from some (usually US based) eejit with a Twitter account has the potential to go "viral" (an objective in and of itself) and further perpetuate the idea that far more support this "new thinking" than actually do.

Ireland is probably among the worst for it - we seem to soak up the absolute worst of US/UK "culture" and adopt it as our own.

The thing is though that lego was gender neutral for decades. It was just lego. there was nothing wrong with it and both girls and boys played with it.

And that's the thing about gender neutral, it's not necessarily a bad thing. I deliberately bought gender neutral converse runners for my niece when she was 2. They were red. Now her younger brother wears them.

There's nothing wrong with normal lego or red converse. Sometimes it actually makes financial sense.

garbo speaks

Any parent who actually plays into and promotes this 'gender neutral' nonsense, is obviously deluded.

Giving kids more options is terrible. It should be done away with. These liberal snowflakes. We'll tell kids what they like and they'll like it. And if anyone wants different we'll mock them

byhookorbycrook

Sonics2k wrote: »

That's just a pink box of lego though. Where does it say "For Girls"

Usually on the sign on the aisle of the toyshop.

ceadaoin.

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Ah come on.. I know these topics tend to draw people who seem to live in a utopian bubble, but it's quite obvious that is aimed at girls - the colour, the little lego girl figures, the cute little dog, the little house... and y'know what? There's nothing wrong with that either.



Exactly.. in the real world there ARE differences between the sexes, men are better/more suited to some things and women to others etc.... and so what?

This is the result of too much social media and bored traditional media legitimising it - every notion that stems from some (usually US based) eejit with a Twitter account has the potential to go "viral" (an objective in and of itself) and further perpetuate the idea that far more support this "new thinking" than actually do.

Ireland is probably among the worst for it - we seem to soak up the absolute worst of US/UK "culture" and adopt it as our own.

There's a debate to be had about whether some of these "differences" are due to socialisation or some other reason. I'm not denying that there are differences between the sexes, there clearly are. But there is absolutely no innate reason why girls should like the colour pink and princesses and play with Lego Friends sets and boys like superheroes and should play with Lego City sets. Do you have young kids? Plenty of them think that they can't play with certain things because the are "for girls/boys", the marketing is pervasive. My daughter wanted a super Mario backpack and I had to go into the "boys" section to get it. Like, why? That's just ridiculous. Should I have told her that boys and girls are different and she should pick something from the girls bit? By letting her choose what she wanted am I deluded, as the post above says, and forcing gender neutral ideology on her? Or maybe just letting her make her own decisions about what she likes?

Toys should just be toys and not any different based on the gender they are aimed at. Even worse is that kids who don't fall into these stereotyped boxes are increasingly being labelled as trans or non binary or other such nonsense. Just let kids be kids.

RDM_83 again

bluewolf wrote: »

Giving kids more options is terrible. It should be done away with. These liberal snowflakes. We'll tell kids what they like and they'll like it. And if anyone wants different we'll mock them

I'm confused though, I thought the whole thing is "these liberal snowflakes" want less options rather than more, not the other way around?

I do think the genderification of small childrens toys is a bit much but it isn't a patriarchal conspiracy, its simply that it makes business sense to companies.

Ninthlife

Havent toys or certain ones always been gender neutral?

Bikes, hula hoops, board games etc.

All this gender fluid stuff and PC nonsense really needs to stop as it is going into the ridiculous now

JohnMc1

HappyAsLarE wrote: »

Why are we trying to remove the differences between genders?

Its the Left's latest Social experiment that you can choose your gender like you can choose what pair of socks to wear today.

freshpopcorn

This is how you dress you kid gender neutral.

kylith

This flowchart may help those who are confused.

andekwarhola

Ninthlife wrote: »

Havent toys or certain ones always been gender neutral?

Bikes, hula hoops, board games etc.

Not a bad point, especially in the modern context. I've two boys and the only stuff they've been into down the years that you could call traditionally gender specific is toy guns. They never really liked toy cars and the like.

Their big things down the years have been lego, bikes, skates, board games, loom bands, football, books, fidget spinners and now their tablets and game stuff like Minecraft, Fortnite etc. Not to mention your usual outdoor street games. My kids have girl and boy friends and they all seem to do lots of mutual stuff.

The idea that girls and boys, in the past and especially nowadays, sit around dutifully playing with action man vs Barbie like my childhood is a bit outdated and seems more about adult political perceptions than reality.

AMKC

freshpopcorn wrote: »

This is how you dress you kid gender neutral.

How boring. If she choose that ok cool but I hope she the mother did not just say here you are wearing that. I hope that child was giving a choice if she wanted to wear a nice dress or something boring like that.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Nice suits though it has to be said. A real 1940s vibe. I love the fashion of that era.

suicide_circus

Toy guns are the best

pew pew

terryduff12

How are they gender neutral when there dressed in suits, no cheap rubbish either for them or bland only fancy stuff for pink.

cournioni

it Is absolutely wrong to bring politics into a kids childhood. Just let them pick whatever they want and let the toy manufacturers produce what they want. It’s in their best interest to make money anyway.