Challenging gender stereotypes in childhood, especially in toy marketing, education and the media. Founders of the
#LetBooksBeBooks
campaign and
#Toymark
award.
Hello & welcome to all our new followers. Here’s a bit about us & what we’ve accomplished. When our campaign began in 2012, signs for ‘Boys’ Toys’ & ‘Girls’ Toys’ had become commonplace in the UK. We wanted to change that and we have! See the evolution of signs below! 1/
‘Jamie’ by
@ollypike
: “There certainly aren't many books for younger children about transgender identities & this one is told very gently & sensitively” For a range of children’s books with transgender themes see
@LetterboxLib
#TransDayOfVisibility
#TDOV
If we want men to contribute to society as capable housekeepers, loving dads, & expressive artists, why can’t we bear to see little boys learning all these things through childhood play?
#InternationalMensDay
“‘Tesco look out your office window. Can you see dinosaurs roaming? Or are they all inside your stores?’”
After a decade of letting toys be toys, why is Tesco suddenly selling gender stereotypes again?
To be ‘like a girl’ is still commonly used against boys in a derogatory way: you run like a girl, throw like a girl, scream like a girl. It means weak
#InternationalMensDay
We talk less to boys. We read less to boys. We discourage the expression of emotion in boys. The
#nomoreboysandgirls
experiment found that by age 7 the boys had less vocabulary for all emotions except anger
#InternationalMensDay
Between the ages of 20 & 49, British men are more likely to die from suicide than from cancer, road accidents or heart disease. Little boys who are taught that boys don’t cry grow up into men who can’t ask for help
#InternationalMensDay
To be ‘like a girl’ is still commonly used against boys in a derogatory way: you run like a girl, cry like a girl, throw like a girl, scream like a girl...
Don’t do that.
“There’s no such thing as a ‘girl feeling’ or a ‘boy feeling’….All feelings are for everyone!” From author/illustrator Elise Gravel - available for teachers/parents to download here:
#ChildrensMentalHealthWeek
#smashstereotypes
‘There is no such thing as “boy stuff” or “girl stuff”. Pink and blue are for everyone!’ 👏🏽
Created by author & illustrator
@EliseGravel
and available for free download by parents & educators here:
Here’s the words of TV toy ads (2015) featuring boys: the language used again & again to capture what boys are apparently made of
#InternationalMensDay
Most excellent graphic from one of our Toymark retailers
@GenNeuStore
which perfectly illustrates the vicious circle of stereotyped marketing for boys/girls and its divisive impact.
“My daughter is studying for her 11+ exam so bought her some books to help. Today she came to me with her English book & was quite angry. It seems that there’s a list of boys books & a list of girls books & her favourite books (Artemis Fowl) was on the boys list” thx AW via FB
What else can you do? Read with boys; seek out books in which girls are the protagonists & caring boys are not the butt of the joke. Teach all kids to value kindness & empathy in themselves and others. Treasure boy/girl friendships, they are important
#InternationalMensDay
@volewriter
Children are bombarded with
#genderstereotypes
from birth from so many places 😏 This is a great read on the topic-
@genderdiary
kept an account of their kids (one girl one boy) early years & the messages they received on daily basis from family/friends, shops, school, books, ads
“I saw this in
#Tesco
& I don’t understand why the girls vests are more expensive than the boys? Apart from a very minor difference in shape, I couldn’t see any other difference except price! I ended up buying the boys vests for my daughter who is 4” Thx Sarah via IG
#PinkTax
?
Little boys who naturally adore pink in the early years of their life now often reject it at the point when they realise it is seen as a colour for girls
#InternationalMensDay
Children regulate each other and adults regulate them too. Boys who are drawn to the kinds of toys targeted heavily at girls can be made to feel less of a boy
#InternationalMensDay
Give boys the freedom to grow up without judgement, without having to contort themselves into anybody else’s idea of what it means to be a man
#InternationalMensDay
The same 2015 TV toy ad research found such ads rarely show girls and boys playing equally together, apart from with board games! Why not encourage the idea that it's great & normal for boys & girls to be friends?
#InternationalMensDay
Happy
#InternationalMensDay
!
Here’s a thread from our archives, which is still true two years later.
Let’s make a positive difference to the lives & wellbeing of men & boys by
#SmashingStereotypes
wherever we can 👍🏽🤗
Research shows that when the sex of a foetus is known, gender stereotyping starts even before birth. But girls are not all the same and there is no one way or right way to be a girl
#DayOfTheGirl
If you are a boy even love & friendship are taboo. Think about adult birthday cards & how commonly the pink ones celebrate friendship. Have you ever seen a card targeted at men do the same?
#InternationalMensDay
Overheard today...
Small boy (shyly): Dad, do you like pink?
Dad: Yes
Small boy: Me too, it’s my favourite colour!
Those tiny reassurances can make all the difference.
This is something practical that you can do, starting today: tell every child you know there is no such thing as 'boys toys' & 'girls' toys'. Same goes for TV programmes, books, magazines etc
#InternationalMensDay
“Toys are FAR more gendered today than they were at any point over the 20th century”
The pink/blue divide seen in the toy industry today started around the mid-1990s. Dr Elizabeth Sweet shares her research findings here in this
#TEDx
talk:
Use your consumer voice. Let the toy industry/book publishers/media know we don’t want kids to believe that only half of all the cool things in life are theirs to enjoy
#InternationalMensDay
Our 2015 Toy Ad research found zero ads showed boys with dolls. Would it really be so abhorrent to show a boy, in his bedroom, comforting a baby doll?
#InternationalMensDay
The toy industry skews boys’ & girls’ perceptions of each other by emphasising difference rather than everything they have in common. If they can’t like the same things they must be some kind of different species
#InternationalMensDay
Society needs boys to grow up and become compassionate fathers, caring friends & kind citizens but our 2016 catalogue research showed that the toy industry mostly refuses to show
#caringboys
#InternationalMensDay
ICYMI here’s a little thread we did last year about how childhood gender-stereotyping limits boys and how we can do better. Still true!
#InternationalMensDay
Did we mention that the toy industry hasn't always been like this? Somewhere along the line, things changed.
And that means it can change again
#LetToysBeToys
“What a load of scientific jargon.”
“Booooring! Time to do some baking!”
“A group of girls among researchers - we’ll stick out like sore thumbs!”
#LEGO
Friends magazine, December 2019
Great reminder here that ‘it’s okay for girls to be Spiderman, and it’s okay for boys to be Elsa’ (& we’d love to know who to credit this to!)
#smashstereotypes
It’s 2018 but it’s still exceptional to see a boy with a doll in a toy advert or on toy packaging. If we want men to be capable, loving dads, why can’t we bear to see little boys developing their caring sides through childhood play?
#HappyFathersDay
#caringboys
“There are no boys’
or girls’ toys it’s a toy!!!🤬”
Hi
@marksandspencer
- concerned to receive this feedback from one of your customers. Please can you ensure that your staff have training around not actively perpetuating gender stereotypes like this, and just
#lettoysbetoys
?
Our 2016 catalogue research also showed that the toy industry likes to depict arts, crafts & musical toys as girls’ domain. So boys are watching, listening & getting the message that those things are not for them
#InternationalMensDay
Thanks everyone for your comments, we do read them and reflect. Let Toys Be Toys has supporters with a range of views on gender, but crucially we unite behind the message that narrow stereotypes are bad for everyone. 1/2
Looking at this
#Lego
ad from over 30 years ago in contrast to some of the sets available now perhaps shows how much toys have moved away from being ‘gender neutral’ in the last few decades
@LEGO_Group
This is why inclusive images matter, why representation matters, why the language & names we use matter. Children are watching & listening & taking it all in, considering their options, ruling things out. Check out the replies ❤️
My 4yr old came home yesterday saying she wished she was a boy so she could be a fireman. When I said girls can be firefighters too she said ‘but I’ve seen in books they are all boys and I don’t want to be the only girl.’ Any good vids/books I can show her?
#FirefightingSexism
@welshmelon
We only ask about your gender so that we can better tailor the content and experiences offered on to the preferences of our users. We’re always working to improve and make more fun, and your feedback is incredibly helpful!
Our 2015 TV toy ad research found boys shown as the villain in mixed groups: chasing girls with a spider, trying to steal their secret diary. Never the other way around
#InternationalMensDay
Over in the adult world, there is still a significant gender division of household labour. Our 2016 catalogue research showed boys were only half as likely to be shown with household toys. As those boys grow up could they…possibly…maybe…be connected? 🤔
#InternationalMensDay
Did we mention that the toy industry hasn't always been as segregated as it has become? Somewhere along the line, things have changed. The great news is, that means they can change again
#lettoysbetoys
In 2017, new ‘word names’ given to American newborn boys included Diesel, Thunder, Almighty, Chaos, Trigger, Danger, Power, and Rage. New ‘word names’ for girls included Allure, Paradise, Pristine, Happiness, Heiress, Fantasia, Tulip, Gracious, and Gorgeous.
It’s a sad day when a grown, successful man belittles a small child for playing at dressing up. Childhood is about imagination & fun & little kids should be able to joyfully wear whatever they like without anybody making them feel like they got it wrong
#lewishamilton
Contrast the toy industry's attitude to boys & dolls (nay) with our 2016 catalogue research which found they are totally fine with showing boys as aggressors (yay)
#InternationalMensDay
guns/war toys graphic
The
#NoMoreBoysAndGirls
experiment found that by age 7, the boys had less vocab than the girls for all emotions except anger. Boys who are taught that they shouldn’t talk about feelings grow up into men who can’t. Let’s change that
#StoppingMaleSuicide
This is fantastic to see
@SmythsToysUK
!
One of our key asks of retailers & manufacturers is to show both boys & girls on toy packaging & in toy catalogues. It’s simple to do, and conveys the message that all toys are for anybody who’d like to play with them
#caringboys
“I came across this in Sainsbury's in Oxford Heyford Hill & it stopped me in my tracks. There are so many layers of wrong in the messaging here. I find it staggering that a brand such as Sainsbury's could stock a product so blind to the concerns of many parents” Thanks TS via FB
Hi
@TheSun
could you explain who these killjoy campaigners are? It’s not us. And the quote is not from our Jess Day who has the book at home and reads it to her children (as do most of us!). Please amend your article to say that Let Toys Be Toys do NOT want to ban Dear Zoo.
We talk less to boys. We read less to boys. The
#nomoreboysandgirls
experiment found that - compared with the girls in their class - the 7 year old boys had less vocabulary for all emotions except anger. Improving
#MensMentalHealth
starts with what we expect of boys in childhood.
@CatherineALebel
Well done to your daughter for speaking up about this 👏🏽 We think this is pretty silly - how can there be “girl masks” or “boy masks” - colours are for everyone!
#letmasksbemasks
😷😊
One for everybody who works in education 🙂
“Gender neutral teaching is not about making boys and girls the same. It is about giving boys and girls the same opportunities. It is also about not having preconceived expectations of children because of their gender” -
@grahamandre
Excellent graphic which perfectly illustrates the vicious circle of stereotyped marketing for boys/girls and its divisive impact.
Made by
#Toymark
winner
@GenNeuStore
(now sadly closed)
The wonderful
@EliseGravel
has created this brilliant image, following her often shared girl-based one. Boys can be anything and everything, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise ❤️
What a difference a few years makes! It might seem silly to hail colouring books - on sale in
@Tesco
- as progressive, but before the
#LetBooksBeBooks
campaign, these would almost certainly have been pink/blue & heavily stereotyped on both sides. This makes us v. happy indeed.
All children need to be raised to recognise, understand, & express their emotions in healthy ways. The
#NoMoreBoysAndGirls
experiment found the 7 yr old boys had less vocabulary for all emotions except anger. We talk less to boys & read less to boys but we can change
#TimeToTalk
Here’s to the ones who play.
Here’s to mixing things up.
Here’s to liking more than one kind of thing at the same time.
Here’s to colour and noise.
Here’s to deciding for yourself.
Here’s to letting kids be kids.
Here’s to letting books be books.
And
#LetToysBeToys
‘Do less gendering’ was the message from
@Finn_Mackay
today. Have a go with these 20 tips.
Delegates at
#MITEY18
each got one to pin up at work - one suggestion is back of the loo door! - soon we’ll put them on our website for anyone to download, print out and display.
The
#NoMoreBoysAndGirls
project found the 7 yr old boys had less vocab than their girl classmates for all feelings except anger. Little boys discouraged from expressing emotion grow up into men who can’t talk about how they feel. Image by
@EliseGravel
#ChildrensMentalHealthWeek
Once you start noticing, it’s astounding how many random things are served up as a boys’ one & a girls’ one. Every single time a kid sees something like this it reinforces that boys & girls are so alien from each other they need different stuff. They’re not and they don’t.
“The shop assistant asked me if it was for a boy or a girl. I asked why, and she said she needed to know if she should find a pink one or a blue one. I thought, it’s a bubble blower, not a gender construct” Katy Brand, actor, writer and comedian
It’s
#WomenInScience
Day. Here’s to the incredible female scientists of the future and all you will do to make the world a better place
#FutureScientists
“There’s no such thing as a ‘girl feeling’ or a ‘boy feeling’....
All feelings are normal and human. What matters is how you express those feelings.”
By
@EliseGravel
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
We are very sad to hear about the frightening attack on London’s
@Bookmarks_books
last night.
#Bookmarks
are our friends & allies w/a great selection of stock inc diverse & inclusive children’s books. Please support them if you can
Playing with dolls enhances social skills, teaching kids about responsibility, empathy & compassion. Imaginative play helps them understand themselves/the world around them & helps with language development. Now tell us again why this is only of value to 50% of future adults.
There’s a new attraction at
@LEGOLANDWindsor
& they created 6 characters to launch it. FIVE are male and the one female is interested in home decor. The idea that male is default is so incredibly damaging for boys and girls - what were they thinking?! Why not 3 male & 3 female?
Sometimes people don’t realise that gender-segregated marketing has got worse not better in our lifetime, accelerating in the eighties with an inspired marketing strategy to get people to buy more stuff which has had far reaching social consequences. But it’s a tide we can turn.
@DonnaLFerguson
What makes this even worse is that it's so new! I'm 60 & was obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid (still am!) but nobody ever thought it was weird for a girl. We're going backwards.
Oh dear! Both
@TheSun
and
@MailOnline
have run a story saying we want to ban the children’s book Dear Zoo 😂 They even made up a quote from us! We definitely don’t want it banned, we have copies at home. Here’s our tweet and here’s their headlines...