Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 22:43     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A boy and a girl, now teens. No guns (not nerf, not water guns) and no Barbies.

A pp was correct, our boy turned everything into a gun for a while, sticks, fingers, even biting a pancake into the shape.

If ever guns of any kind, or Barbies, were given as gifts, if a gift receipt was attached, we exchanged, and if not, we donated.

Why? Because I do not believe guns are appropriate toys in any way shape or form. As for Barbies, you do know Mattel modeled them on Lilli, a German sex toy? (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.messynessychic.com/2016/01/29/meet-lilli-the-high-end-german-call-girl-who-became-americas-iconic-barbie-doll/&ved=2ahUKEwj84Pvt59vmAhWRnOAKHTd1BBkQFjAAegQIAhAE&usg=AOvVaw2QqweRqsMjQ6dkAA6ehN0B) Sorry, I don't want her as a role model for my daughter.

As I said earlier, both are now teens, and neither seems to be mal-adjusted or suffered in any way for not having played with guns or Barbies.



I could almost guarantee that ZERO kids think they are playing with a sex toy. I mean, unless you tell your kid that, how would they know? It’s a doll for Chrissakes! Get a grip, people.


+1 totally ridiculous to ban Barbies. I grew up with a mother who banned Barbies, among other things. I also grew up with a lot of resentment. Why wasn’t I allowed to have Barbies, like other girls? I always felt different and weird. I wish my mom had loosened up. I don’t think Barbies would have affected me negatively.


+2, I also grew up with a mother who banned Barbies in the name of feminism (late 80s- early 90s) and always resented it. I really thought most people were past this nonsense by now.

I happily bought my daughters the Barbie dream house I never had and imagine a large percentage of the current crop of girls for whom Barbie is banned will do so for their own children


Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 21:42     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:Grew up in the south and had some Uncle Remus and Mammy type dolls. Was on the fence about passing them to the kids, but they seem to play with them in appropriate ways. I don't think I need to gatekeep their toys.


What are their appropriate jobs? Griot and food entrepreneur? Or just mom and dad?
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 21:38     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Oh, man, I LOVED my Barbies. One of my favorites I called “Barbara” and dressed her in a modest dress my grandmother sewed. I pretended she was a librarian and she went out to each at French restaurants.

—bookworm English major



I love you. The only better thing would be if she had been a wildlife biologist with your stuffed animals

- bookworm science nerd


When my son was young, he was invited to a little girl's birthday (2010s). I purchased Paleontologist Barbie. I was entranced by the glitter-infused dino fossil accessories.

I was lukewarm about Barbies myself because I accidentally broke Francie's kneecap open while trying to make her dance appropriately in her Swan Lake ballet outfit.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 21:13     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Our neighbors would not allow any gun play with their son and it was…odd. No nerf, no stick guns, etc. One summer a bunch of kids were playing with water guns and he wanted to join so his parents hovered around loudly repeating “wow what fun water squirters!” and “check out this water squirter” I guess to make sure the kid didn’t identify his play as guns? But it was so weird and other kids were staring at this poor child.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 20:02     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:I refused to host a laser tag party but my son attended them. For me it was enough that he knew I would not host one. Do I think they turn kids into mass shooters, no but I do think there are literally millions of other ways to have fun.


Me too on this one. I wish we could become friends.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 19:52     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
I used to make covered wagons for my Barbies out of shoe boxes and make them long dresses with fabric scraps. I would recreate scenes from Little House on the Prairie and Dear America books and grew up to be history professor with feminist politics.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 18:12     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
I really hate the idea of guns being toys (and I’m not an anti gun person, I’ve owned them…which is why I’m adamant that they aren’t toys) but like others have said my 3 year old boy will turn anything into a gun. All it took was him seeing kids with water guns. I think my energy is better spent on safety and education rather than on restricting.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 17:54     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Good luck. I said no guns, and we got like five nerf guns at DS's fifth birthday party, and they kept rolling in at birthdays until about age 10.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 17:54     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mostly books that are outdated and racist (like Seven Chinese Brothers, etc) or sexist
m

I’m actually going the opposite route. We are using books that are very racist or misogynistic to teach our values, but in an age-appropriate way. Kids look at the book And can’t believe that anyone thought this way, so we talk about the way that society has changed and hasn’t.


Show them "Blazing Saddles"
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 17:53     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:Lawn darts. Obvious reasons.


Had a set of those and sold them as a teen. Should have kept them, they are collectables now.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 17:10     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Grew up in the south and had some Uncle Remus and Mammy type dolls. Was on the fence about passing them to the kids, but they seem to play with them in appropriate ways. I don't think I need to gatekeep their toys.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 17:04     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:A boy and a girl, now teens. No guns (not nerf, not water guns) and no Barbies.

A pp was correct, our boy turned everything into a gun for a while, sticks, fingers, even biting a pancake into the shape.

If ever guns of any kind, or Barbies, were given as gifts, if a gift receipt was attached, we exchanged, and if not, we donated.

Why? Because I do not believe guns are appropriate toys in any way shape or form. As for Barbies, you do know Mattel modeled them on Lilli, a German sex toy? (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.messynessychic.com/2016/01/29/meet-lilli-the-high-end-german-call-girl-who-became-americas-iconic-barbie-doll/&ved=2ahUKEwj84Pvt59vmAhWRnOAKHTd1BBkQFjAAegQIAhAE&usg=AOvVaw2QqweRqsMjQ6dkAA6ehN0B) Sorry, I don't want her as a role model for my daughter.

As I said earlier, both are now teens, and neither seems to be mal-adjusted or suffered in any way for not having played with guns or Barbies.



I could almost guarantee that ZERO kids think they are playing with a sex toy. I mean, unless you tell your kid that, how would they know? It’s a doll for Chrissakes! Get a grip, people.


This is true. However, that doesn't mean kids won't do freaky shit with Barbie. My Barbies were all scissoring before I knew there was a word for that.


+1. We were sacrificing unclothed Barbies and Kens in volcanos, on train tracks, and skydiving without parachutes.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 17:02     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
I don’t try to police anything and actively go with what my kids want. My youngest dd is obsessed with dinosaurs and only wears Dino clothes, including dresses, pjs and bathing suits. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but who cares? She’s Dinomite just the way she is.

I remember my oldest DD had so many negative comments about how girly she was, as if being girly is less than being a tomboy.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 16:59     Subject: Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
I avoided unboxing toys where the appeal is the opening/surprise, not the toy itself. Because they just create clutter and waste.

I avoided single scenario toys or toys only tied to one character. So a generic doll house, not a Rapunzles castle doll house. Or a generic set of walkie talkies, not a paw patrol walkie talkie set.
Anonymous
Post 08/19/2025 16:59     Subject: Re:Classic toys you aren’t introducing to your kids
Anonymous wrote:I have a three year old boy.

I’m avoiding army men, weapons of any kind like Nerf guns, and really loud/violent cartoons.
DH and inlaws are super traditional and love the military, Fox News, guns, and tradition, but have so far seemed to take my lead in giving gifts like wooden play food for the play kitchen. I’m sure they’d draw the line at buying dolls, but I think a simple wooden dollhouse would be great for imaginative play.


How about wooden building blocks?