what is with kids toys

[rodeogirl]

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who has a problem with the gender profiling on kids toys. My little man and I were walking through the stores looking at toys so he could tell me what he wanted for his birthday and it's crazy how many toys are not gender-neutral.
My little man loves cooking and cleaning but there are next to no toys like that for boys. One of the toys that he really wants for his birthday is a play kitchen but the only one the store has is pink pink and more pink.

 

[Joel_BC]

Back to the original thread topic…

Seems that with a lot of us living sufficiency lifestyles, we find our way to improvise for what conventional culture and toy manufacturers don’t provide to us. (Beekissed alluded to this previously in this thread.)

So anyhoo, back to the regional thread topic… sorta. This guy has taught his nine-year-old daughter to do basic welding. She must have shown some curiosity or interest. I sort of doubt she had a toy welder at five years old—do the toy companies even make such a thing?—but who knows?

From post #17, https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8779

Maybe nine is a bit young. I know I’d feel I should be supervising closely for a few years after.

As everyone posting in the beginning of this thread recognized, real skills very often start from childhood play.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm not sure where the idea that parents are a "burden" came from. I never said that. I consider helping my parents a responsibility. That is one thing I got out of my upbringing - I take care of my responsibilities. There are times when I think it's wonderful - there are times when it definitely is not. Last night I could hear a conversation they were having in another room. They were discussing the three kids they had. Long story short - my brother is a bully, I'm emotionless and care more about animals than people, and my sister who passed away was the only good child they had. Eh...wasn't the best thing to hear - but it doesn't change my responsibility.

Bee just pointed out the same thing that I said. Even in large families - sometimes a disproportionate amount of caregiving falls on one sibling. Not always, not every time, but my point is that it's not about family size...it's about who steps up.

In my mother's family - she took care of her mother - her siblings did not step up either. My brother has watched over my parents for years because they live next door to each other...he's not in a position to do that now. We ARE sharing the responsibility even though we sometimes have different ideas of what role the caregiver needs to play.

My son and his wife help me now. They have their own lives and their own place and their own responsibilities - but they help me with jobs that are larger than I can handle on my own. However, I do not expect and will not put the expectation of my personal care on them as I age. Just my philosophy - don't need anyone to agree or disagree with that. It's what I expect for my family and my circumstances.

Totally agree with NH that blood doesn't always mean family. There can be special people in our lives that have no shared blood - but do have a deep bond and will always be there for each other.

 

[NH Homesteader]

@sumi want to hear rude? Shortly after my daughter was born my MIL said to DH, "it's just too bad she wasn't a boy". I. Was. Furious!

My daughter told her 7 year old male cousin all about butchering pigs and chickens. He was horrified, he didn't realize people ate animals (huh? Super sheltered right??)

 

[CrealCritter]

Kids are Kids... My grand daughters play with toys truck and cars and my grand son plays cooking. Companies need to understand that... but sadly decisions are mostly made in board rooms that are mostly out of touch with reality.

Not to mention toys these days a pure garbage. They are made to break as fast as they are un-packaged. So they can fill up the land fills quicker and you have to buy another one and another one and another one, gotta keep those Chinese workers working -egads!

Try and find a cap gun these days to play cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers - nope. I had plenty a cap gun when I was a kid and I didn't turn out so bad...

 

[Beekissed]

I agree! It doesn't always have to be family and most often it's not, which is lovely to see when it happens that way. I have many friends who have befriended elderly people and care for them when they don't have family or don't have family who cares.

I don't want my boys to care for my personal body either...have told them to let the professionals do that, but to make sure the professionals do their job. That's all I expect out of my boys...just make sure I'm not in pain, I'm not anxious every day and no one is medicating for it, and make sure I can poop. That's the three biggies in the nursing home. Keeping my chin hairs plucked is optional.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I always wished I had a sister. Happy my daughter will have one!

 

[CrealCritter]

Because you are crazy people? Lol kidding but seriously... No. 2 is good.

You just figured that out :lol nope... just really really productive. We wanted 12 but had to stop short after 7 because of a complicated pregnancy and my DW during delivery yelling at the doctor to get me on the table and "take care of this RIGHT NOW!"

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Maybe I am the odd one out here - but my reason for having kids wasn't so I'd have someone to wipe my butt when I got older, lol.

I think there are plenty of people inhabiting this earth right now. We are killing mother earth as it is and I saw no reason to do more than have replacements for myself and my kids father.

In my experience there's been one kid in a family who steps up to help with the elders. Just what I've noticed in the people around me. Not saying it's that way everywhere. But, that's why I'm making plans now to see that I don't do this to my children!

I'm living this drama with my parents right now because of Hurricane Harvey and I REFUSE to do it to my kids. It's not fair to them. My hope for my children is that when they get to the age I am now they do not have to worry about ME!

 

[milkmansdaughter]

That's awesome! My guess is that dad's been teaching that kid skills for a long time. I'd be wary about having a 9 year old welding too, but I remember babysitting and cutting the lawn by the time I was 9. I wasn't much older before I was driving a tractor (I had to wait until I was tall enough.)
My son was taught how to fish by a 3 year old (who knew which hook to use for which kind of fish, put the worms on by himself, and took the fish off the hook by himself.) The little 3 year old went fishing at his grandparents' house almost every day.