Choking hazards, the lot of them.
Hamleys have been in the news this week for stopping its ‘gender apartheid’ of segregating a pink girls floor and blue boys floor. This follows the campaign against Hamleys by the blogger Delilah (real name Laura Nelson) after a disappointing trip to the store. Delilah wrote, "My request to Hamleys is that it signposts its toys by some other means – for example, what the toys are, rather than who Hamleys assumes they are for".
Some adults (Toby Young) might dismiss this as silly, they are wrong. Toys for children can be organised in by age range, by size or the Dewey Decimal system, but not by gender. To tell a small child what they can and can’t play with is just as stupid as the fictional short story Young trots out about by Saki to prove how futile a more neutral sorting of toys would be.
Some adults (Toby Young) might dismiss this as silly, they are wrong. Toys for children can be organised in by age range, by size or the Dewey Decimal system, but not by gender. To tell a small child what they can and can’t play with is just as stupid as the fictional short story Young trots out about by Saki to prove how futile a more neutral sorting of toys would be.
For every boy fashioning a loo roll into a gun there is a boy reaching for the princess gown in the fancy dress box. Great. That just proves the point Young is trying to scorn.
Ok but think of the parents! Young warns us that, “Henceforth, dads looking for Scalextric and mums searching for My Little Pony will just have to wander aimlessly around the shop's five floors until they stumble across them”
Are fathers with daughters exempt from shopping or something? Taking away a ‘girls’ and a ‘boys’ sign for toys doesn’t mean Hamleys is now some kind of orienteering course, the toys are still organised in themes. If you still find that too hard might I suggest online shopping?
Get ready Toby, this is just the start. First children’s toys, next the media’s favourite Christmas season page filler, Gifts for Her and Gifts for Him. When can we adults have present ideas sorted by type and not sex?
As with supposed ‘boys toys’ I often find myself looking wistfully at what presents are recommended for men. Exciting gadgets, books, cocktail shakers and fancy beer is, according to various Sunday supplements NOT for ‘her’. Gifts for Her pages tend to consist of mini disco mirror balls (every year, why?), Ugg boots and an epilator.
I’d rather a Scalextric thank-you very much.
Squeamish Kate
Ok but think of the parents! Young warns us that, “Henceforth, dads looking for Scalextric and mums searching for My Little Pony will just have to wander aimlessly around the shop's five floors until they stumble across them”
Are fathers with daughters exempt from shopping or something? Taking away a ‘girls’ and a ‘boys’ sign for toys doesn’t mean Hamleys is now some kind of orienteering course, the toys are still organised in themes. If you still find that too hard might I suggest online shopping?
Get ready Toby, this is just the start. First children’s toys, next the media’s favourite Christmas season page filler, Gifts for Her and Gifts for Him. When can we adults have present ideas sorted by type and not sex?
As with supposed ‘boys toys’ I often find myself looking wistfully at what presents are recommended for men. Exciting gadgets, books, cocktail shakers and fancy beer is, according to various Sunday supplements NOT for ‘her’. Gifts for Her pages tend to consist of mini disco mirror balls (every year, why?), Ugg boots and an epilator.
I’d rather a Scalextric thank-you very much.
Squeamish Kate
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