Toy Gripes

Although I'm a big believer in nature vs. nurture, the toy industry is doing its damndest to convince me otherwise.

Whenever I go to Pottery Barn Kids I get annoyed. Don't ge me wrong, I kinda love that store, but I hate some of the choices they make. For instance:

--Why are all the boys rooms 'activity' oriented and the girls rooms filled with either domestic objects or completely useless things like flowers and butterflies? C/D always head to the boys rooms, and there is a reason--the boys rooms have trains, balls, trucks, etc, while the only decent thing the girls rooms offer is a dollhouse (which they don't quite get yet).

--If these little "domestic" toys are so fun, why don't they market them to both genders? Why are the irons pink--why the hell don't they have BLUE irons? And why would I want to ENCOURAGE domesticity? I mean seriously, I'm not sure they have ever seen me use an iron. So boys get a soft soccer ball that makes a 'crash sound' and my girls get a freakin' washing machine????? Are you KIDDING ME?

--Even the girls sports stuff they try to placate me with at places like PBK rub me the wrong way. Why does a girl need a pink mitt? I never had a pink mitt, and last I checked no one in MLB did either. But at least they are trying on this one...

At least some of the kitchen sets are relatively gender neutral in color. Little boys are always playing with the kitchen sets there, and they also love the grocery carts (my girls do too, I just like my walls unscratched). I see a lot of little boys on the street pushing little strollers around (popular 'big brother' gift), and I think it sucks that the strollers are often feminine looking. Why in the world shouldn't we be encouraging our little boys to emulate their fathers?

I realize it gets even worse at a Toys R Us, but I guess I just expect more from PBK. I mean I know people who work there (they are based in SF). They are intelligent women. Why are they trying to stick my daughters in the 1950s?? I mean maybe D/C don't want to play with "Female Senators" playing cards, but can't we come up with something better than a vacuum?

I know that girls will be girls and boys will be boys, and I know that a girl can like to play 'house' and still end up a doctor or supreme court justice, but I can't help but think that our children's psyches are made up of thousands of little touchpoints. And what am I teaching my daughters if one of the first things I encourage them to do is clean the house?

When Hillary is president, do you think she can outlaw pink domestic toys?

(Oh, and here's a pic showing off the AMAZING weather we've been having...this is right before they ran right into the water. I've been working so much I haven't had much time to enjoy, but we did get a great afternoon at the beach. Did I mention that I love October?!)