Dads: If your daughter wanted a toy truck?

Josie_lifting_cats

Why would you buy her one? That would just reinforce gender roles and set the stage for female oppression. *Sigh*

Okay, I'm being slightly extreme and sarcastic, but seriously, I don't understand why you wouldn't. My daughter plays trucks with my son (who is older) and then insists on wearing a giant puffy poodle skirt to go shopping.

Then again, I also paint my son's fingernails if we girls are and he asks. He's four, and I'm sure he'll stop asking soon, but for now who cares? He's already coming home with ideas of what girls do and boys do and how girls aren't supposed to like boy things and vice versa. It's nonsense.

My sister had trucks and motorcycles when she was little. Now she does all of her own car work, changes her oil, and is rehabbing an older motorcycle. For her 8-5 day job, she runs an embroidery shop. Doesn't appear to have messed her up to play with trucks when she was little. Maybe I'm missing something here.

ETA: We have photos of my brother running around in a tutu when he was little. He also played dolls and stuff with my sister. No problems there either.

mamagooskie

yes I would buy her one. My daughter (8 years old) loves monster trucks and wants the EL TORO LOCO one especially since we actually took her to see them live in our city and the driver of that one is a woman!!

louiselebeau

OMG NO! Get my little princess a truck? Next thing you know she'll be wanting to wear plaid and cut down trees with an axe...










*just in case anyone thinks I'm serious, I don't have a daughter...but if I did, I still wouldn't buy her a truck. But I'd totally buy her the axe and the plaid shirt.

Go LadyJacks!
http://www.sfasu.edu/

ClementineGeorg

All these threads remind of a Christmas when my little sister' favorite gift was a plastic set of tools. She wanted her hammer and screwdriver!!! And she's a girly-girl, wearing only pink dresses, if she could have the only choice.

It's not a sex thing, it's a thing of interest. Children have different interests at some points and their imagination projects thongs into the toys far beyond our understanding. The doll or the truck has in their minds a far different meaning than our `sexist` talk.

Not to talk that maybe a child is just curios of different toys, which he/she sees only other children, of opposite sex, play with.

So I would give to a child the toy he wants, within some financial boundaries.

slkehl

It's such a strange double standard. No one takes issue with buying their girls "boy" toys, but flip it around, and it's weird. Sure, there are parents on here who say that their son plays with his sister's barbies, or that they would buy their son a simple doll. But would they go out and buy their son a full on barbie dreamhouse? I highly doubt it. Yet, I can't think of one masculine toy a parent would be hesitant to buy their daughter.

And this stretches beyond just toys. Think about clothes. Girls can wear jeans, Tshirts with superheros...but can a boy go to school in a dress, paint his nails? Not without a bunch of stares and getting his orientation questioned.

EvgeniZyntx

No I would not.
Toy trucks are wrong. I want my girls to really really know the world they belong in. They get curlers and little costumes and castles and fairy stuff. Maybe finger nail polish and dolls and kitchen stuff. It shows them where they can play. Oh, perhaps a hammer and Legos have slipped in. Climbing equipment? Yeah, ok but purple. Ok a BMX too. Ok, ok one rode RAGBRAI with me.

Of course this year, they are getting books on bike maintenance, kick boxing equipment, a power drill and a micro surgery kit (my oldest is studying biology). And a bunch of girly stuff too.

If they want a toy truck, they can make their own - they already know how to use a tin snip, a lathe and a press.

_Bob_

I already have, and boxing gloves and she loves them



She's going to be able to kick my *kitten* someday, and I'm going to teach her how

bettacheckyoself

I like how this thread was made...it's nice to see how our answers compare with the other thread/situation...

I am obviously not a father, but I just wanted to say that I never had barbie dolls/dolls in general because we were poor and I had 2 older brothers, so I got to play with the toys that my parents could eventually afford /were given for them.... so transformers !! = )

Gemalar

I had toy trucks bought for me when I was a kid infact it was my treat for good behaviour to have a toy car bought for me..... I also worked on cars with my dad as a teen, it did me no harm and I don't think I'm any less of a girl for it lol In fact I think I grew up a little more well rounded having had experiences that some girls didn't.

Go get the truck :bigsmile:

sunsnstatheart

My 7 year old daughter already has a remote control apache helicopter which she saved up her allowance money to buy. She has a fishing pole on her Christmas list (bright pink of course!) which she's getting, and she just had a dinosaur themed birthday party. She also has a bright pink skate board, a surf board, lots of barbies, etc. She also played Call of Duty, Modern Warfare with me until her mom thought better of it (in hindsight I think maybe mom was right)! She plays with what she wants within my financial means. I think it may be easier though for girls playing with all sorts of toys than boys playing with dolls. I don't think its wise to put too much emphasis on what kids play with one way or the other. That said I do think its easier for girls to be tom boys than for boys to play with girls' toys. In the end though so what. We love our kids, work to let them be themselves and try to teach them how to avoid bullying, etc. Its all part of growing up.

By the way _Bob_ up there^, you're daughter is a total bad *** - love it!

mycrazy8splus1

My 7 year old daughter wants a chainsaw and a hunting rifle. I see no problem here.

Laddiegirl

I think kids should have whatever toy they want, a truck for a girl or a doll for a boy won't guarentee anything other than the kid gets to use their imagination.

I grew up as one of two daughters to a very athletic military dad. I had trucks, cars, remote control army jeeps AND a trunk full of Barbie stuff. Heck Barbie rode around in the remote controlled Army jeep more often than her corvette, lol!

Umeboshi

If anyone says no to this they are not a nice person.

XxxFallenAngelxxX

Yes you should, playing with trucks is an awesome experience. I honestly love to play with cars and trucks!

You should get her one!

AllTehBeers

I already have, and boxing gloves and she loves them



She's going to be able to kick my *kitten* someday, and I'm going to teach her how

LOVE THIS! She's a cutie!

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

The only problem I have with kids playing with the gender-identified toys that they want are parents who won't buy girl toys for girls (dolls, pink Legos, sparkly stuff) because they think it's going to somehow hold them back in life. Nothing like telling a little girl there's something wrong with her for wanting girl toys. Same would apply for boys, but I don't know any parents who won't let boys play with boy toys. I actually know parents who think that anything with a princess on it will damage their girls' psyches.

mycrazy8splus1

My sons were 5 and 4 when they asked to be signed up for ballet dance. Their older sister was already in one at the time. My husband was a bit unsure but he asked them why they wanted to be in dance class. They answered..."duh, their are lots of cute girls there!"
God love 'em! LOL

Eve23

My husband would take my daughter with him to the shop and she would help him work on cars and trucks, for christmas or holidays if she were to ask for a car she would have gotten a car. Just as my son would like to try her dresses on and twirl about to get the dress to fly out he would even play dolls with her and then go and try and fix something with tools on the side. They found joy in it and could appreciate what the other found enjoyable. I think that its great.

Blondie_05

Heck I remember growing up & having Barbies & G.I. Joes instead of Ken dolls. My Dad is Army so maybe that's why but I just remember sharing them with my brothers. lol.

Articeluvsmemphis

lol. I see what's going on here haha anyway my nieces love cars, no problem buying them

SexyMidnight

Buy her that truck my little girl is 3 she asked for green boots transformers(bumble bee) spiderman and hello kitty!! what ever makes them happy!!

logicman69

My daughter wants a firetruck for Christmas... you damn right she is getting one. Plus her Uncle (who is a firefighter) is going to take her for a ride on a real fire truck next time we visit.

KyleB65

ABSOLUTELY! Part of raising a strong confident person is supporting them as they work their way though life. And, helping them as they work at figuring out who they are and who they want to become.

AND, I would equally buy a doll for my Son if it was something he wanted.

mmkennedy30

I am not a dad, but my hubby is right here. We encourage both girl toys and boy toys for our daughter. So what if a girl wants a truck...so what if a boy wants a barbie...it doesn't mean anything, except that they are a kid and kids like toys .

RECowgill

Without hesitation. My 5 year old daughter loves cars and trucks as much as she loves barbies and legos. Why not? They have no real concept of traditional gender roles at that age anyway. Why enforce it through toy selection?

sissiluv

It is both sad and annoying that we gender toys. Bah.