*** ATTENTION ***

[Tuesday Afternoon]

Whether it's being asked if they would like a "girl toy" or "boy toy" or the pink and blue color-coded aisles of major toy stores, we hear from many parents that they and their kids are tired of the gender stereotypes associated with toys. That's why it's exciting to see this manager being proactive about breaking down the idea that girls and boys should automatically prefer certain types of toys -- after all, plenty of girls like Skylanders and many boys are fans of My Little Pony.

Gender stereotyping of children's toys is limiting to both girls and boys -- just like fostering spatial and analytic skills in girls is important so is teaching boys how to be nurturing. Let's encourage other managers to follow Lorena's great example and, hopefully, the industry will decide to stop serving up gender stereotypes with their kids' meals and make it a company policy. Kudos to Lorena for taking the lead!

For more stories of both real-life and fictional girls and women confronting sexism and prejudice in a multitude of forms, visit our "Gender Discrimination" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues/prejudice-discrimination?cat=69

On A Mighty Girl, we feature thousands of empowering toys that reflect the diverse range of children's interests including science, arts & crafts, building, and pretend play. While our toy collection was created with Mighty Girls in mind, we believe both girls and boys will love the featured toys, just as we believe that all children benefit from the girl-empowering books and resources found throughout A Mighty Girl. To browse our toy section, which is sortable by age and theme using the left menu filters, visit http://www.amightygirl.com/toys

[seabeyond]

1. this is excellent to hear. something so simple. when those in gd repeatedly ask, what can anyone do

to change anything, this would be a very clear, very productive, very obvious step. good for this manager. i hope corporate learns and implements thru out.

good.

thanks.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. sea, it is my pleasure to post this. You are very welcome and thank you for the Rec

so excited for women/girl these upcoming election years. I just gotta feeling, yanno ...

[seabeyond]

3. i think so. i had lunch with an old time friend i hadnt seen for a couple years. was a blast.

she had her 4 yr old daughter with her. you know how i have gotten in conversation, speaking of women, lately.... lol. well. she... was right there with me thru out the conversation. there is a confidence i am feeling in our women. younger and older. to be bold, and radical , and no longer on mans agenda, but choosing our own.'

i had a blast.

there are about five women in town i have to touch base with. awesome women. she was telling me, when i set up one of these meet ups with women this summer, i ought to invite her and others to come along. so we can ALL have a blast.

these women that are in their own professional comfort zone and empowered, needing no help

i agree tuesday. i feel a totally different woman today.

maybe it is all the in our face stupid men are trying so very very hard to fling at us to try and get it to stick, so they can maintain dominance. that ship sailed. they simply do not want to admit it yet.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. I think they are in that Flabbergasted stage ... looks kinda like this

[seabeyond]

5. ha. the oh shit....

you are probably right on.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. because ... Baby!! we are really gone gone gone ---

[pffshht]

7. Yes.

This.

It's not just the anachronistic and presumptuous idea of having one toy for a boy and one toy for a girl- it's that almost always if one of the toys is obviously much lamer than the other, you can bet it is going to be the girl one. (No no, it's ok, my daughter didn't really want that Donatello or that Finn the Human, this purple bracelet she can put stickers on is so much cooler.)

And I have to say My Little Pony is one of the least-crappy made-for-girls things to come along (the new remake series, the original was horrible) and that's probably why it's caught on with boys to the degree it has. Or maybe it's just that I'm just comparing to loathsome trash like Bratz and Monster High...

[CrispyQ]

12. A few years ago they came out with little computers for kids.

The boys computer was black & silver & had 18 functions, the girls was pink & had 11 functions.

[gollygee]

8. No freaking doubt

When we've been out in Happy Meal land, my girls often wanted the "boy" toy, and them insisting on calling it the "boy" toy has been an issue. "I want the car but I don't want a boy toy!"

[CrispyQ]

9. I was in target the other day & noticed the backboards of the shelving units in the girl toy aisles

were all painted bright pink. The boy toy shelves were the same shelving units used in the rest of the store.

[MadrasT]

10. That sea of pink at Target pisses me off every time I'm in the store.

It is so fucking offensive.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

14. heh. Kind of ironic that this is on Pink Paper

I blame Mary Kaye

[MadrasT]

11. I wish this would be company policy

at every single fast food joint that has kids meals.

"Girl toys" and "boy toys" my ass. That is literally the dumbest fucking thing I have ever heard.

[ismnotwasm]

13. +1