Gender neutral kids clothes/toys.

freshpopcorn · 08-03-2018 05:08PM #1

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 · 08-03-2018 05:12PM

Alan's fact of the day:

Pink used to be considered a boy's colour.

andekwarhola · 08-03-2018 05:23PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:25PM

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

Let kids be bloody kids

Mysterypunter · 08-03-2018 05:30PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:36PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:36PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:40PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:41PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:41PM

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

freshpopcorn · 08-03-2018 05:43PM

I just find the world is obsessed with labels!

The_Valeyard · 08-03-2018 05:46PM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I just find the world is obsessed with labels!

Is there a label for that?

freshpopcorn · 08-03-2018 05:47PM

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Is there a label for that?

Labeling?

The_Valeyard · 08-03-2018 05:47PM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Labeling?

Labelitis?

JohnMc1 · 08-03-2018 05:48PM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I just find the world is obsessed with labels!

Only the people who are obsessed with identity politics.

fattymuatty · 08-03-2018 05:48PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:52PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:55PM

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 · 08-03-2018 05:56PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:01PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:03PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:03PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:05PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:08PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:09PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:09PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:13PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:14PM

davo2001 wrote: »

Yes, it's called marketing.

Wow, what an insightful comment :rolleyes:

kunst nugget · 08-03-2018 06:23PM

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 · 08-03-2018 06:26PM

Sonics2k · 08-03-2018 06:31PM

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?

Gender neutral kids clothes/toys.

Comments