Not really giving little girls a chance are they?

[oakjefferson]

Just so my daughter knows her role, I guess I should get her started early. I was having a tough time this Christmas getting her a kitchen set and then I saw this. Good lord, feminism hasn't hit the toy section has it?

[EmperorOfCanada]

I am not a parent so maybe I really have no place to say anything, but maybe you are blowing it a little out of proportion? Sure it is a little girl on the box, but is it being marketed to girls only?

This isnt a functional cleaning cart is it? Im not sure I would want to encourage boys or girls of a young age to handle cleaning supplies without parental supervision lol, but also when I was a kid my parents bought us a little mini fisher price fast food kitchen complete with plastic burgers and fries, and I didnt grow up to work in fast food industry (not that theres anything wrong with that) though I did turn out fat lol.

Anyways, dont worry about it! I dont think there is anything wrong with this toy, other than being stupid and not looking all that fun to play with. Just dont buy it!

[Alexis10]

^^ Agreed. In addition, I think a kitchen playset could be seen in the same perspective that you see this cleaning cart.

[jm1]

It could be worse... it could be pink.

[DJ_Peanuts22]

flamebait thread

[starboy869]

My son is three and plays with barbies, strawberry short cake, and hot wheels.

[EmperorOfCanada]

My son is three and plays with barbies, strawberry short cake, and hot wheels.

no play doh? no lego? (or is he still at an age where everything has to go in his mouth?)

[AudiDude]

Nephew is 3. He has a toy vacuum that he loves to death and a plastic race car that needs to be "fixed" (especially after he disassembles it and loses the pieces). The pic in the OP isn't bad, it's not like the girl is Mexican while there is a second white girl pointing out a spot she missed.

[flyinggonzo]

Brutal.

[spike1128]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves on this one and blow this out of proportion. The toys has nothing to do with feminism or discrimination. It has something to do with child psychology. Thus more girls will prefer to play with this than the boys.

Normally, given a male oriented toy (aka cars, tanks, robots) and a given a female oriented toy (aka barbie, kitchen set, etc) the boy will usually play with the male toy and the girl will play with the female toy. It is not to say that they are trying to manipulate the kids on playing a certain toy.

My friend once told me that if a girl gravitates on playing with boy toys or vice versa, it might mean that they might become homosexuals in the future. I would caution parents not to give opposite genderized toys to the kids, and let them pick their own toys. It wouldn't be cool to dress up a boy like a princess by their parents.

[ishfish]

Kids like to mimic their parents.
if they see you clean, they will want to do it too. They don't need special toys to do it though.
Of course they develop and aversion to cleaning around the time they are of age to do a good job.

In my experience both boys and girls like these activities - especially "washing" dishes and mirrors.
A boy is more likey to want a super loud vacuum and to put holes in the wall when given a broom.

[mr_raider]

It could be worse... it could be pink.

It could have a learn Espanol in 7 days free CD in the box.

[x95zsk]

Just so my daughter knows her role, I guess I should get her started early. I was having a tough time this Christmas getting her a kitchen set and then I saw this. Good lord, feminism hasn't hit the toy section has it?

have 2 sons, we have a kitchen set and a shopping cart (to teach about money). both kids love it. the older one is starting to understand about money through the role play. we also have trucks, trains, animals and doctor play sets. we really did not care if it was geared to wards girls.

[ippon]

replace the little girl with Dora.

**popping some corn**

[Sylvestre]

As a parent, you should know your child wants to mimic things you do (e.g. my wife loves baking and thus our daughter plays with her baking toys when my wife is baking. I work on the car and my daughter plays with her toy tools when I'm doing stuff.) The toy doesn't define her role, the actions of the parents do. If you follow stereotypical gender rolls in the home, your kids learn it.

The only people who make an issue of these kinds of things are adults. Kids don't care - they just want to play. My son & daughter don't seem to have a problem playing with all toys.

Go to the Ontario Science Centre kids area and see how many boys and girls all play with the market shopping stuff.