Helen and I share a favorite toy from our son’s recent birthday collection, and give a demo of its projectile-launching fun. We then offer some suggestions for kids’ birthday parties and ask viewers to weigh in on gendered gift items.
Mombian: She Got Me Pregnant, 07-02-2009
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My mom always faithfully put together party-favor bags for my and my little sister’s birthday parties, and as far as I can recall they were never gendered; we usually had the same stuff for all the kids, and the variation in colors probably included pink and purple, but we never forced certain colors upon anyone.
As a little kid, I liked both “girl” and “boy” toys, and I remember getting both Barbies and Legos; when it came to buying presents for other people, I would pick out costume jewelry or Barbies or craft sets for my girl friends who I thought would like things like that, but I think that had more to do with them than with any sense of what a girl would like. I know that my mom was always *very* sure not to gender-stereotype with regard to my sister and me or any other kids.
Teenage and young adult men and women aren’t too different with regards to gender-essentialism–as an adult woman, I’m not very stereotypically “feminine,” but I think it’s important not to go too far in the other direction in an attempt *not* to be seen as feminine. I like what I like–and if that includes the same “pink” and “blue” toys I liked as a little kid, so be it.
We have used gender-neutral things like bubbles, chalk, tops, pumpkins (our boy’s birthday is near Halloween), etc and never had any issues with it. Our 6-year-old boy likes more boyish things, but also likes pink, sparkly things, and nail polish. Our 4-year-old girl insists on liking pink, purple, and princesses, but she can easily be thrilled by sharks, trains, legos, etc. I’m a little freaked out by all the princess stuff, but we just encourage balance and she doesn’t have much trouble branching out.
You seemed to have swapped weather with us. We are having a heat wave here in Portland, OR. Hope you have a dry 4th.