Why is it that toys for boys take fantasy roles that are unreal while girls toys emulate female future roles?

Question

Example: Boys Toys: GI-Joe, X-Men, Toy Guns etc..

Toys for boys seem to have themes that are unreal/fantisy and don't happen normally. They also tend to have violent themes.

Example: Girls Toys: Easy Bake Oven, Play Makeup, baby dolls where you change diapers and feed.

Toys for girls seem to emulate or suggest future roles for girls who later become women. These toys also are more real or down to earth not abstract.

Why don't they make a baby doll so boys can lean to be better fathers. Or Easy bake ovens for men. Men can cook right.

Do you guys understand what I'm saying.

Answer 1

I totally get it. Toy departments in any retail store are extremely gender specific. That's why I avoided them during my children's formative years. I wanted my children's toys to develop creativity and motor skills, not assign gender based roles to them.
There was a running joke in my family for a number of years at holiday time. Before buying a gift for a child, it had to pass the "non-sexist, nonviolent, developmental" test. If it did not meet at least two of the three criteria, it was not purchased.

In all seriousness, though, the best early childhood toys are things like building blocks, play dough, arts & crafts supplies like paints and crayons, sand and water toys, and of course BOOKS. With the dawn of electronic toys, I like Leappad, too, which came on the scene a little too late for my kids.

I'm not saying gender-specific toys are bad - there is room for some in every child's life. And if a family wishes to encourage a divergence from gender roles, then, by all means, teach the boys to change a baby's diaper and play "house", and let the girls play with cars or X-men.

Do you think boys would use the Easy Bake oven if it were camo green instead of pink? We all like to eat brownies, don't we? The marketing people would love to expand their sales!

Answer 2

A lot of boys are very masculine, and will not play with toys that do not reflect that.
Likewise, many girls are far too feminine to want something that isn't pink, cuddly, or a baby.
Take a mixed-gender group of four year olds, and have someone carry a baby in there. The girls will be facinated, and remain fascinated, and want to care for and hold the baby. The boys will wonder what it is, then having their curiousity satisfied, will wander off, and play something else.
The little girls have been interested in babies even before that, and I cannot say that it has everything to do with the way a child is raised.
I was very masculine, wore men's clothes (and dated women)... and would buy my daughter toys like trucks, gi-joe, dinosaurs, etc. And you know what she did, even though I would teach her differently?
The trucks became beds or strollers, gi-joe wore lipstick, and the dinos were called babies.
The fact is, that boys and girls are different, and toys reflect that. I don't think, though, that we should introduce children only to gender specific toys and activities. Let them play with the toys they like.
My objection, however, is when girls of six are playing with hypersexualized dolls, and wanting to emulate them. Those dolls actually are meant to convince women that they are supposed to be nothing more than household decorations.

Whatever our objections, we should let children be children, playing with whatever they are attracted to. In their innocence, they understand themselves more than we can, and unless it is truly harmful, who are we to try and control that?

Answer 3

The idea behind 'dolls' is (or was) to instill 'nurturing' qualities in female children. This kept them at home in the domestic role.
They do make dolls for boys. People just don't buy then for fear that it will create homosexual tendencies in the child. Even when You buy a boy a doll and it is His only toy he will tend to ignore it, or still play at soldiers. Even autistic children do the same thing: play house, or home invader. If You give a child a 'Teddy Bear', will it grow up to be a Park Ranger? If a boy pushes a pram is He practising for Fatherhood, or driving a racing car? It is the environment and habitat rather than the incidental amusements that nurture and cultivate a child's learning and self growth processes. A boy will use a saucepan lid as a shield, and a ladle for a sword. And some little girl will automatically want to nurse His wounds. But then We already knew that, didn't we.
Isn't it interesting that most toys ('dolls' too) are designed by Men.

Answer 4

There's nothing saying you must stick to your gender's toys, though. I'm a female and I always hated dolls and found the idea of 'playing' with something that took work not that much fun.

Besides, there are ways to make easy-bake ovens and dolls violent, believe me (the doll IN the oven certainly produces a good show...)

Answer 5

I understand what you are asking and if you don't give your son dolls to play with I'm sure he'll turn out fine anyway. But I don't see how a doll could affect anyone's gender identity. Whether you are male or female, if you have a baby you should love it and care for it either way. That's what baby dolls emulate. A little girl pretends to be its mommy and a little boy pretends to be its daddy. I think it is important for boys to have dolls. No, that doesn't mean you have to buy him some flowery pink thing, they have masculine "dolls." Even if its just a Diego doll or Spiderman or whatever, he can still roleplay a parent-child situation with it. My daughter is 20 months old and LOVES baby dolls more than anything. I'm pregnant with a boy now and he will have masculine dolls to play with. She has a play kitchen and all the doll accesories (stroller, high chair, bassinet, etc) and she likes to cook for them and care for the babies and I'm sure her little brother will be playing the same thing with her. Some people also think a boy shouldn't have a play kitchen but men should know how to cook too! My husband is a chef so I'm sure our little boy will love pretending to be a chef in his play kitchen, feeding his dolls just like his daddy feeds him. So basically, I just don't see how dolls would affect a boy's gender identity unless you were getting girly flower princess dolls for him instead of something boyish.

Answer 6

In the 80's there was a doll marked for boys called "my buddy". Boys also like to play with trucks and tractors (more like real life roles). Besides it is only a social construct, both boys and girls can play with all these toys now because it is more socially acceptable.

Answer 7

Well, we haven't had it THAT easy. We've had a Barbie in a pink astronaut costume and a Polly Pocket who owns the biggest mansion you've ever seen. But for the most part, you're right. These toys seem to be part of a concentrated effort to socialize boys and girls into widely accepted gender roles. If I ever have children (not gonna happen), I'm going to try to raise them with no gender-specific products.

Answer 8

Stereotype toys. They make fantasy toys for boys because if they made real life toys guys would all kill themselves before they were 12. Would you want to grow up with the anticipation from toy that actually tell you how live really is? That's why we don't have the Ex-wife doll, that is totally worthless and when you pull the string says" wheres my check", or the screaming kids at 2am doll, perhaps the accountant action figure with calculating kung fu grip, or even the Jehovah's are at the door action set. (actually you could simple put the Men in Black figures on bikes to get that one)

or toys for women: the I have the same job but get paid less doll, It's humid outside and my hairs messed up Barbie, even the Barbie that curses at other Barbies when they walk by simply because they are dressed nicer even though they have never done anything to her. Barbie could have the drive to work playset where Barbie drives a large SUV with a dented fender from trying to drink coffee, put on makeup and talk on the cell phone all at once.

Let men dream before life, kids and wives kill it for us. If you want boys to get a real clue as to how it will be...buy the a Married with Children dvd set, the life of Al Bundy prettywell sums it up.

Answer 9

Excellent observation!

When my daughter was little, I bought her toys that interested her .......regardless if the manufacturer designed them for boys. Most toys are designed within the boundaries of sex stereotypes and many people start from the moment a child is born, brainwashing them to believe that they must follow these unwritten guidelines.

When my daughter was in first grade, she came home and said that the girls were having a tea party and learning table manners, and the boys were having a sports party; she asked why she couldn't go to the sports party? I immediately called the school, since the teacher told my daughter that she had to go the tea party.

Sex discrimination and sexual stereotypes all in one! Not every boy likes sports, and there is not a thing wrong with teaching boys table manners. I certainly rocked the school with my opinions on that one! :>))

I don't believe people should be fenced in by preconceived ideas based on a visual assessment of sex. That is way to limiting to me. Freedom of choice.........regardless of sex is much better. :>))

Answer 10

Totally get what your saying!

Probably because in older times girls would be working in the home while boys would still be considered kids and sent to school.

As more toys were developed girls toys took shape of what would later be their duties while boys toys stuck with the fact that they are kids and should have imaginations instead of practicing to be a homemaker.

Btw, I think you are forgetting fireman and policeman action figures that go along with some toy guns, that could eventually lead to a career.