This interwebz photo put me over the edge! Anger Rising!

Originally posted by iamhobo
Geez, if we had washing machines and grills to play with way back when it would have been amazing. But no, we had dolls and sling shots.

I think we turned out fine...

Edit: I turned out fine

edit on 7-11-2012 by iamhobo because: (no reason given)

I too, had a sling shot AND a Red Ryder BB gun. I turned out fine in my opinion.

The others? They had welts.

Hey! They were bullies!

I love puzzles and crayons but the old rubix cube is a pain in the.... I digress.

I'm not sure that play washing machines are going to ruin a child's life, however, I do understand the point you are making.

What really gets me is the idea that little girls = play washing machines, barbies and toy vanity sets. Little boys = toy soldiers, guns and sports.

To me it's a conditioning of gender roles early on in life and it ticks me off. I'm not saying that the toys a child plays with will necessarily affect them later on but the idea of the way we look at gender and what is and isn't acceptable does disgust me.

Originally posted by iamhobo
Geez, if we had washing machines and grills to play with way back when it would have been amazing. But no, we had dolls and sling shots.

I think we turned out fine...

Edit: I turned out fine

edit on 7-11-2012 by iamhobo because: (no reason given)

I had guns and army soldiers.
I watched the Three Stooges slap each other silly, the Road Runner with Wile Coyote blowing himself up, and my brave brother was fighting over in Viet Nam.

If toys and times really had any powers of conditioning I wouldn't be so set against war and violence as I am. No toy can influence a child more than just watching the roles one's parent play in the home.

Originally posted by winofiend

They're little kids man, they see dad on the bbq, mum doing the washing.. it's not quite illegal to think that way, traditionally that is how the family was viewed. And it's not a bad thing, it's just different to how it is now.

Agreed.

My kids just wanted to copy what mum and dad were doing.....and believe it or not, i did the laundry and vacuuming as much as my wife did.

My girls had a toy tool set as well.

That said, i think the most fun they've had is out in the woods when i showed them how to make a bow and arrow. How times have changed, i spent ages telling them to shoot this way and that way, and to keep well away from their sister with it......when i was a kid, first thing you did was sharpened the end of the arrow or stuck a dart on the end.....and tried to shoot your mate!

As long as parents balance things out and don't read too much into it i think it's ok.

CX.

Seems legit.

Teaching children to cook a tasty meal and wash clothes is a problem?

I'd hate to live downwind from you.