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When I was a kid, the only time I would play with Barbies was if I was bored out of my mind. No offense Barbie! I would play banker using my toy chest with the slats in it as the bank window, etc. Although I loved pink and purple (lavender was my favorite!), I also loved sports and more complex games, other than tea parties and baby dolls. I guess I was a bit of a tomboy. I was thrilled when I got a race car set as a child. I believe traditional "girly" things are important, but I also wished they had more intricate, complex and building type toys available for girls back then.
I try to raise my son with non-gender specific toys. Let me make that all gender specific toys. He has his train set, firetrucks, construction trucks, workbench, and all kinds of sports equipment, but he also has a play stove, a grocery cart, a small baby, etc. He likes to put on mardi gras beads, who wouldn't...they are fun. And when he goes to a friend's house that is a girl, I have no problem letting him play with the baby dolls. I love watching him play with the doll, feeding it, taking it to the pretend doctor and putting it down for naps, just like his friend does. Just like his dad IS, it teaches him to be a good daddy in the future. And, of course, he will learn the most from his role models but I think these little things will also help in his overall development.
I have no problem with him playing with traditionally "girly" type toys. His favorite things to do are wrestle, play chase, play in the dirt, climb, etc. But, he also likes to do these other things, as well. I try to encourage all sides of his personality, his rough and tumble side and his gentle and caring side, so he can grow into a well rounded individual.
I have to admit when he was one and received the espresso colored stove from his grandparents, my husband was not happy about it at first. I told him..."Why?, he has to learn how to cook at some point and YOU love to cook"...after I said that, he was on board.
I then bought him a little doll, those little 6 inch soft bodied ones you can get at Target. This one had blue eyes just like my son and I told him it was his baby. My husband said "Really??!" And I said "Hey, he needs to learn how to be gentle with little ones." And with that he let it go.
When a little friend of his comes to visit, her favorite toy of my son's to play with is the colorful, plastic gear set. Yes, she loves all her "girly" stuff like purses, jewelry, her princess chapsticks in various colors, and her favorite pink stuffed animal that she carries with her everywhere, but she also loves building the gears from scratch, connecting the base together, putting the gears on then being able to turn all of them at once by turning the crank. She gets to create it by putting it together however she wants then gets to see her achievement in action by turning the gears. It teaches her cause and effect, spacial relationship, and a sense of accomplishment.
I am not on a mission, I just believe kids should have all kinds of opportunities and be exposed to all kinds of things to learn and develop. So, when I saw today this new toy that will be available for little girls I was thrilled. It was the inspiration for this post today. I would have LOVED something like this when I was young.
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| Image courtesy of GoldieBlox |
And while I do appreciate the toy companies like LEGO, etc. trying to appeal to girls by making everything pink, I do love that this new one, created by a female engineer, combines reading, steps that illuminate cause and effect and spacial/building qualities.
This is the new toy that inspired today's post:
(make sure to go to the links and see it in action!)
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| Image courtesy of GoldieBlox |
Originally discovered this here. (Due to friend Tori and her continuous, selfless research on all things children and her beautiful generosity of spirit to share it!!)
For more info. go here. (FYI - toy is in pre-order phase with estimated delivery of February 2013)
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