When we look back at our childhoods, many of us will vouch for the fact that there was a clear gender divide in the toys we played with. Girls, from a young age, are encouraged to play with dolls, and boys are given action figures and toy trucks. The episode in Friends in which Ben picks out a Barbie and Ross feels that his son is almost emasculated by doing perfectly reflects how society attaches gender to toys.
However, toys for kids are not simply for entertainment and play; they help with children’s development and growth. Let Ben play with a doll, Ross. A boy needs to develop his nurturing side too!
Gender Divide in the toy industry
According to a 2005 study titled ‘Characteristics of Boys’ and Girls’ Toys’ published in the journal Sex Roles, the toys for boys have been associated with aggression and fighting and those for girls are usually associated with nurturing and grooming. The study further pointed out how boys’ toys are rated as competitive while girls’ toys are related to domestic skills.
On the other hand, gender-neutral and moderate masculine/feminine toys are deemed as more educational, and instrumental in developing a child’s cognitive and artistic skills.
Why gender-neutral toys are the need of the hour
“If you want to develop children’s physical, cognitive, academic, musical, and artistic skills, toys that are not strongly gender-typed are more likely to do this,” Judith Elaine Blakemore, author of ‘Characteristics of Boys’ and Girls’ Toys’ told National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Professor Blakemore in fact points out that strongly gender-typed toys may encourage traits that may be counterproductive for your child. Say, for instance, girls may focus too much on attractiveness and homeliness and boys may develop aggression. On the other hand, she revealed that moderately masculine and moderately feminine toys may end up helping your child develop a wide range of positive qualities through both such as spatial skills, scientific aptitude and nurturing skills.
Gender-neutral toys also help shatter stereotypes early on. Roles based on gender are first defined at the stage when kids start playing with toys. It will help them grow in a healthy environment that doesn’t assign gender roles and they can grow up to be whoever they want.
The role of marketing in establishing the gender-divide
While many new-age parents are understanding the need for gender-neutral toys for their children, it often comes with a social cost. The toymakers often market the toys specifically for girls and boys. In fact, sometimes, the attempt of making the same toy for both genders often goes wrong, as the version for girls ends up being in pink, such as the pink version of the Little School Bus.
An experiment for the research titled ‘Influence of sex stereotypes on children's exploration and memory: A competence versus performance distinction’ kept toys in stereotypically gendered boxes—one for boys and one for girls. And little children, staying true to what they were told, stuck to the toys meant for them.
Dolls for girls have roles such as homemakers, mothers and princesses while action figures for boys are shown as engineers, scientists and fighters. These projections of what adults deem right for kids end up socially conditioning them to play with gendered toys.
Parents who are trying to break the stereotype should be supported by toymakers and how they position their products. For instance, an Indian brand Equalitee makes gender-neutral clothes and toys to ensure every child has an equal opportunity for all-round development.
Tips for parents:
1) Buy gender-neutral toys and clothes for your children. You can also buy them a mix of both ‘for girls’ and ‘for boys’ toys to promote optimum growth and blur gender segregation.
2) Do not stick to the typical colour scheme and allow them to have toys in a plethora of colours.
3) The same rule should apply to all other aspects of play, be it sports or artistic pursuits.
4) Explain why this is important so your child doesn’t have to pay the social cost of gender-neutrality.
Also Read: 5 Non-Toxic Kids’ Brands By Mompreneurs