“The marketing of children's clothing and toys has become increasingly gendered as stereotyped gender roles and narratives are promoted by brands. 'Boy toys' encourage action, physicality and competition; 'girl toys' encourage socialising, domesticity and concern with appearance.”
“Since each toy is associated with one or more particular skills, children who grow up in strictly gendered environments are unable to incorporate one half of the necessary skills for personality development.”
Assigning gendered labels to toys can increase feelings of anxiety amongst children who may be worried about playing with the wrong toy. Before 3, children are likely to play with whatever toy is put in front of them. Any gender cues that they pick up on will come from their parents or others in the room.
In some ways, toy marketing is less gendered now than in the past: Big-box retailers such as Target are doing away with pink and blue toy aisles, and brands such as Disney no longer explicitly categorize their products as “for girls” or “for boys.” But researchers told me that many toys are still packaged and marketed ...
When the Reagan administration deregulated advertising for children's television in 1984, gender distinctions in toy marketing surged — aiming to capture the fancy of boys and girls glued to TVs. By 1995, approximately half of the toys in the Sears catalogue were gendered.
Play with masculine toys is associated with large motor development and spatial skills, while play with feminine toys is associated with developing fine motor skills (fingers), language and social skills. We should be encouraging well-rounded kids with many diverse interests and skills.
Tips for parents to avoid gender-stereotyping of toys
1. Give your child access to a range of toys without giving gender-specific inputs. 2. Let your child explore what he wants to play with, without being influenced by any bias.
Preferring toys and objects that are traditionally associated with a different gender does not necessarily have anything to do with gender identity or sexual orientation. Your son may be more sensitive and nurturing than his male peers.
One study found that toys marketed to girls were associated with stereotypically feminine traits: physical attractiveness, nurturance, and domestic skills. Toys marketed to boys were associated with stereotypically masculine traits like violence, competition, excitement, and danger.
LEGO bricks were originally marketed as toys for both boys and girls. The 60s saw the introduction of new elements to the LEGO system like wheels, windows and hinges.
“Toy preference is natural”
More than half of these parents believe that toy preference is down to nature. 52% of the parents who said their boys preferred boys' toys said this was an innate preference. It was even higher for girls.
The Negative Impact of Gender Specific Toys:
It develops a wrong impression about the opposite gender's role: Based on the gender theory a boy will see girl's role as nurturing and caretaker while girls see boy's role as breadwinner.
The fact that your son enjoys playing with girls' things or has qualities we typically associate with girls, such as sensitivity and gentleness, is an indication that you've been open and supportive and that you've provided him with opportunities that go beyond typical "boys'" play.
"Biological differences give boys an aptitude for mental rotation and more interest and ability in spatial processing, while girls are more interested in looking at faces and better at fine motor skills and manipulating objects,” Dr. Brenda Todd, a senior lecturer in psychology at City University, said in a statement.
Action figures, construction sets, and science kits are often associated with boys, while dolls, kitchen playsets, and makeup kits are commonly labeled as girls' toys. This gender-based categorization limits children's choices, reinforcing societal expectations and stereotypes.
doll (dol), n. a small figure representing a baby or other human being, esp. for use as a child's toy. Sex and Gendera pretty but expressionless or unintelligent woman.
An obvious characteristic would be the colours. It was noted that “girl” toys tend to be in pastel shades such as pink and purple whereas “boy” toys tend to be coloured more intensely, especially blue and black (Chiu et al., 2006).
Experts agree that doll play is as helpful for boys, as it is for girls as they too need to develop the same emotional skills as girls and often are deprived of that sort of emotional exploration. Boys can benefit from self-expression facilitated by doll play especially with more diverse representation among dolls.
Children dressing up as the opposite gender is very common (almost as common, in fact, as parents who are worried about this behavior.) But rest assured, it is perfectly normal. Dressing up and playing pretend is the activity of choice for children of this age.
Pollack stresses that a boy playing with dolls is "absolutely normal." And even if the boy would rather play with Barbie over GI Joe regularly, it's still normal. The distinction, says Pollack, is if the child says, "I don't like being a boy" or "I want to be a girl."
As experts would tell you, there is no age limit for dolls. It may seem unusual in this day and age, but several 12-year-olds still play with dolls. And in a world where the internet is widespread, this may be a good thing.
The role of LEGO play
While many parents perceive the LEGO brand as a good example of an inclusive toy brand, LEGO play is still considered more relevant to boys than girls, with 59% of parents saying they encourage their sons to build with LEGO bricks compared to 48% who say they encourage it with their daughters.