Comments on: Guys and dolls http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guys-and-dolls Toronto's new weekly city magazine Sat, 25 May 2013 08:37:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Nadia http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43731 Nadia Sun, 13 Jan 2013 18:21:40 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43731 Your points are opinion based, not factual. Toys target to a specific sex and yes, gender stereotype, has not been around for 5000 years. The point is toys should be toys. Walk into a Toys R Us and see if perhaps this will shed a little light for you. You will see the store is divided. Blue on one side, pink on the other, no joke there was a pink monopoly for the girls with salons and other "girly" things to replace the traditional monopoly. You will also see that dangerous gender stereotypes like, cleaning and caregiving reinforeced for the girls, as all the babies, mops, ovens, etc are found in the "girl" section. Stereotype's are often correct in the sense there is some truth to them, so for example, some girls maybe drawn to pink and princesses and caregiving. Where they become dangerous is when the assumption is ALL girls want that. It becomes increasingly difficult to empower our children, when society is dictating what a child should like based on their sex. Toys should be toys. The author mentions stores which categorize their toys by age, material, etc. This is a more appropriate (and responsible) way to present the toys in the store. Gender is a social construct. To pretend it isn't is ignorant. Your points are opinion based, not factual. Toys target to a specific sex and yes, gender stereotype, has not been around for 5000 years. The point is toys should be toys. Walk into a Toys R Us and see if perhaps this will shed a little light for you.

You will see the store is divided. Blue on one side, pink on the other, no joke there was a pink monopoly for the girls with salons and other “girly” things to replace the traditional monopoly. You will also see that dangerous gender stereotypes like, cleaning and caregiving reinforeced for the girls, as all the babies, mops, ovens, etc are found in the “girl” section.

Stereotype’s are often correct in the sense there is some truth to them, so for example, some girls maybe drawn to pink and princesses and caregiving. Where they become dangerous is when the assumption is ALL girls want that.

It becomes increasingly difficult to empower our children, when society is dictating what a child should like based on their sex. Toys should be toys. The author mentions stores which categorize their toys by age, material, etc. This is a more appropriate (and responsible) way to present the toys in the store.

Gender is a social construct. To pretend it isn’t is ignorant.

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]]> By: Ironic glasses but blind http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43636 Ironic glasses but blind Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:41:11 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43636 @Anon: Can you prove that? Can you truly verify that statement with facts? It is easy to connect dots in your head, but another thing to look at hard data. So playing with blue toys if you're a boy and pink toys if you're a girl such rigid boxes?-- and that's why we have violence? You may cite examples of the violence against women perpetrated by overly "macho" men. I hate with a fiery passion as much as you do. But frankly, I personally don't believe the color of toys will solve the problem of violence against women. Which is why I'm commenting. We might be (in our good-intentioned fight against violence towards women), missing the point and ultimately the root of the problem. In my opinion, maybe teaching honor, respect, and nobility at a young age might. Perhaps teaching about the sanctity of a person's life might as well. But the colors of toys? I'm uncertain about that. @Head in the Sand: I'm sorry I did not move the conversation forward in the direction you would have liked. I guess I should've kept my mouth shut then? I'm sorry I did not agree with the article and wished to express my opinion, but I guess differing on opinions is not welcomed here? I guess you're right, you're educated and well-rounded, and I'm (as you say) naive. The answers and the truth all belong to you, I guess. @Anon: Can you prove that? Can you truly verify that statement with facts? It is easy to connect dots in your head, but another thing to look at hard data. So playing with blue toys if you’re a boy and pink toys if you’re a girl such rigid boxes?– and that’s why we have violence? You may cite examples of the violence against women perpetrated by overly “macho” men. I hate with a fiery passion as much as you do. But frankly, I personally don’t believe the color of toys will solve the problem of violence against women. Which is why I’m commenting. We might be (in our good-intentioned fight against violence towards women), missing the point and ultimately the root of the problem. In my opinion, maybe teaching honor, respect, and nobility at a young age might. Perhaps teaching about the sanctity of a person’s life might as well. But the colors of toys? I’m uncertain about that.

@Head in the Sand: I’m sorry I did not move the conversation forward in the direction you would have liked. I guess I should’ve kept my mouth shut then? I’m sorry I did not agree with the article and wished to express my opinion, but I guess differing on opinions is not welcomed here? I guess you’re right, you’re educated and well-rounded, and I’m (as you say) naive. The answers and the truth all belong to you, I guess.

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]]> By: Butwhatif http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43631 Butwhatif Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:06:35 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43631 In the West parents make kids HAPPY. In the East, Parents draw out the best in Kids to be SUCCESSFUL. When a kid is happy he may not be happy when he grows older. But when a Kid is successfully, usually he is happy. In the West parents make kids HAPPY. In the East, Parents draw out the best in Kids to be SUCCESSFUL. When a kid is happy he may not be happy when he grows older. But when a Kid is successfully, usually he is happy.

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]]> By: Sirpluss http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43630 Sirpluss Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:04:01 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43630 The flat out denial of human personhood as always radically affected by one's sex...that's right ... sex, is a wonderful testament to the power of ideology and unreason over actual reality. This bizarre chicken or egg nonsense will have its victims. Denmarks arresting study of 2006 correlates homosexuality with the disintegrated wreckage of human relationships incurred by the degenerated 'sexual revolution" of the 60's, with its debasement of human culture and human lives. Let the children be children. The flat out denial of human personhood as always radically affected by one’s sex…that’s right … sex, is a wonderful testament to the power of ideology and unreason over actual reality. This bizarre chicken or egg nonsense will have its victims. Denmarks arresting study of 2006 correlates homosexuality with the disintegrated wreckage of human relationships incurred by the degenerated ‘sexual revolution” of the 60′s, with its debasement of human culture and human lives. Let the children be children.

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]]> By: head in the sand http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43625 head in the sand Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:32:08 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43625 Gender segregation is world wide, if you don't think so, you're are sorely naive. It takes many forms and in children, this is a common one. If no one pays attention to it, nothing will ever change from one generation to the next. If you don't have anything constructive to say (ie. move the conversation forward), then why comment? Gender segregation is world wide, if you don’t think so, you’re are sorely naive. It takes many forms and in children, this is a common one. If no one pays attention to it, nothing will ever change from one generation to the next.
If you don’t have anything constructive to say (ie. move the conversation forward), then why comment?

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]]> By: Butwhatif http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43623 Butwhatif Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:28:19 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43623 It sounds soooo nice "letting the kid play whatever s.he likes. Tell you what, all kids are influenced by the adults and the world outside. You should not remain indifferent. If you tell them boys are supposed to play with boy toys and girls are supposed to play with girl toys, then majority will learn from your value. Now what's wrong with that? Don't the society pass our values to the next generations? Kids need prompt from adults. If you are not interested in giving him/her some pointers, they get more confused than happy especially when they go to school! May be a boy likes boy toys and he also likes girl toys. A pointer from the parent will make the difference and he certainly will appreciate it when he goes to school and enters the working society. We live in a world where toys are plentiful. Why don;t we show what kind of toys is best for our kid? We do that ll the time with other kid choices. It sounds soooo nice “letting the kid play whatever s.he likes. Tell you what, all kids are influenced by the adults and the world outside. You should not remain indifferent. If you tell them boys are supposed to play with boy toys and girls are supposed to play with girl toys, then majority will learn from your value. Now what’s wrong with that? Don’t the society pass our values to the next generations? Kids need prompt from adults. If you are not interested in giving him/her some pointers, they get more confused than happy especially when they go to school! May be a boy likes boy toys and he also likes girl toys. A pointer from the parent will make the difference and he certainly will appreciate it when he goes to school and enters the working society. We live in a world where toys are plentiful. Why don;t we show what kind of toys is best for our kid? We do that ll the time with other kid choices.

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]]> By: Butwhatif http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43621 Butwhatif Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:15:50 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43621 When my son was barely 2 years old, he picked all the boys toys on his own without our encouragement either way. We bought barbie dolls for him just to see. And he wasn't even interested in opening the box! We did not encourage nor discourage him to play either. People can argue but Men are good at certain things and women are good at others. Why the hell would the bleeding liberals want to neutralized gender for heaven sake. Is there anything wrong girls being girls and boys being boys? When my son was barely 2 years old, he picked all the boys toys on his own without our encouragement either way. We bought barbie dolls for him just to see. And he wasn’t even interested in opening the box! We did not encourage nor discourage him to play either. People can argue but Men are good at certain things and women are good at others. Why the hell would the bleeding liberals want to neutralized gender for heaven sake. Is there anything wrong girls being girls and boys being boys?

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43618 Anonymous Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:56:33 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43618 Nothing is wrong with girls playing with girl toys and boys playing with boy toys. The point is that there is also nothing wrong with boys playing with "girl toys" and girls playing with "boy toys." And those of us who hope for equality of all human beings sure hope the next 5000 years are better than the past 5000 have been! Nothing is wrong with girls playing with girl toys and boys playing with boy toys. The point is that there is also nothing wrong with boys playing with “girl toys” and girls playing with “boy toys.” And those of us who hope for equality of all human beings sure hope the next 5000 years are better than the past 5000 have been!

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43617 Anonymous Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:54:03 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43617 It is all inter-related. When we put boys and girls into rigid boxes we create imbalance and violence. It is all inter-related. When we put boys and girls into rigid boxes we create imbalance and violence.

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]]> By: ironic glasses but blind http://www.thegridto.com/life/parenting/guys-and-dolls/#comment-43614 ironic glasses but blind Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:43:07 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=116103#comment-43614 Are there not enough real issues that demand more of our attention and petition...than what color our children's toys are? Talk about 1st world problems. =( Are there not enough real issues that demand more of our attention and petition…than what color our children’s toys are? Talk about 1st world problems. =(

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