When we asked hundreds of folks to tell us what was the last gift they got for a girl or boy, we were expecting them to be pretty balanced in the responses. Unsurprisingly, a number of people had bought cars and superhero toys for little boys and makeup or kitchen sets for girls. Now, is this necessarily a bad thing? Not at all—if these are what your little ones love playing with! But if you are getting a child a toy because subconsciously, you feel this is the 'right' toy for them to play with because of their gender, you might actually be perpetuating biases and causing harm! If our kids are exposed to 'gender bias' as soon as they enter the world of play, then how far will they go? In my blog, Getting gender bias out of the playroom, I talk about this and also my recent encounters with gender stereotypes.
This isn't a new problem
Even though things may be improving in society, the expectation that boys and girls are different from birth still lingers and creeps into childhood playtime. We all want our kids to grow up in a world where everyone is treated equally and given the same opportunities. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. That’s why we at ‘Sadora Baby’ have launched toys that encourage gender neutrality at playtime. These toys can still be fun for both kids! The idea that boys and girls can play with both toy cars, building blocks, and pull-along toys sets no limits to the imaginations of both children. Find toys that suit your child's interests without throwing gender stereotypes in the mix - or better yet, find toys that break gender stereotyping altogether! Before we jump to conclusions, let’s take a deep breath and consider other alternatives. Perhaps the toy is not suitable for a younger age group, and you’d like to get something else instead? Or maybe that toy was your child’s favourite, but they've outgrown it, so you want to find them a replacement? Maybe you thought this gender-specific toy would appeal to their interest in the colour purple? Or perhaps you bought it as a joke? (Hey, I can see the gender-neutral jokes already. Maybe we should just start giving boys kitchen sets, and girls building blocks!). How we treat people and what messages we give children about their identity is important. So if you ever catch yourself favouring one gender over another, take a moment to think about what message that sends to your child—and whether or not you actually believe it. For example: I really want my daughter to love science; so for her birthday, I got her a chemistry set. She loves cooking too! So for her birthday last year, I got her an oven. I love that my son loves sports!! So one of his first toys was this soft football.
So, what is the best thing to do?
The best way to avoid gender bias in your child's playtime is to ask yourself a simple question - why am I buying this toy for my son/daughter? If you have an answer that reinforces gender stereotypes and biases, then perhaps it's time to pause for a moment and think about what kind of message you are sending to your child.
