When I was pregnant I was adamant I wouldn’t dress my little girl (if I was lucky enough to have one) in pink all the time.
I thought it was such an old way of thinking – and that blue, yellow and green were just as good as pink.
And then I had my little girl.
I quickly noticed that if you dress a girl in anything but pink, people always ask how old “he” is.
It’s also hard to ignore how great her auburn hair and fair skin looks in a pink jumper and tights.
I recently visited my local shops and found that while we’ve come so far, even toys are still gendered.
Cars and tool work stations are usually in the traditional blue and toasters, kettles and even the kitchen sink are pink.
At first I was angry.
Why did the kitchen sink have to be pink – surely boys do the dishes too.
Have we not made enough steps away from the “women belong in the kitchen” way of thinking?
But then I thought about it – if there is a choice in coloured toys for my daughter I will almost always buy the pink or purple option.
And the reality is that someday (when she is old enough), I’ll probably buy her a toy kitchen full of those pink appliances.
It’s not because it’s women’s work or their place – but because as young girls we like playing house, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Do you think gendered toys are a problem?
– Melissa Meehan
