Gender Stereotypes In Toys Essay

If stores market toys for a specific gender they will prevent children from having this. 6th grader at Plainview Old Bethpage middle school Carly Barca says that “when kids see a toy they want but it’s labeled for just a girl or for just a boy it can make them feel down because if they want a toy and it’s labeled for a specific gender it can make them think that they cannot do what they want and they have to follow the “tradition” of what is considered for boys or for girls”. When toys are marketed for a specific gender they suggest what children should like to do and who they should aspire to be before they’ve had an opportunity to figure that out on their own. Children’s view of the world can be shaped based on what they do and what they play

A. Gender typing in early childhood is how people think each sex should act. Through cultural stereotypes and norms, children begin to associate different characteristics and activities with one sex or the other. As soon as children begin to understand gender categories they start to assign objects, roles, and traits towards a particular sex. Girls play with dolls and make-up and tend to spend more time with art or playing house, while boys have trucks, fake guns, or racecars and they want to play rough outside with other boys.

It also helps them to learn social skills as they are playing games with other children. When children are at this age they develop their fine and gross motor skills. Fine motor games for this age range include: • Lego helps children develop as they can build up the blocks and knock them down. Children can also develop their social, language and communication skills as they can be playing with others. • Dolls help children develop their physical and cognitive skills as they can do buttons and zips.

These studies suggest that children observe gender stereotypes at an early age unintentionally. Since children’s brains are constantly soaking in new information about the world around them, they have to do so in a way that they are seemingly most comfortable. Studies show that children are most comfortable learning from people who are actively in their lives and attractive movie and TV

Children and young adults are identifying with gender roles at a young age due to mass media. Children develop within a society that is gender-specific when it comes to social and behavioral norms. These come from the family’s structure, how they play with others and by themselves, and school. Girls were expected to be more passive while boys were to be more aggressive and expressive with masculine behaviors. “Before the age of three, children can differentiate toys typically used by boys or girls and begin to play with children of their own gender in activities identified with that gender.

What we might not understand is that their learning is influenced by these different objects of focus. If a kid decides to look at their mother’s face, for example, they will find that their mother reacts to their cooing and laughing, which can improve social interaction and the bond with their mother. Along with the use of learning through attention, children influence their own development by using language. Even while toddlers between nine and fifteen months may not fully understand speech, they are known to practice “talking”, even when no one is around. This shows that they are internally motivated since no one is around to react to this speech.

For example, girls should play with dolls, while boys are forbidden to play with dolls, unless they are male action figures. Or it is ok for boys to become mechanics, but it is not suited for girls. Children gradually learn the do’s and don’ts of being a female or a male. It is constantly reinforced on a daily basis through the media,

As Parsons and Howe note, (2009) this suggests that superhero toys do not necessarily encourage aggressive play or that children use aggressive play while playing with superhero toys. Conclusion It is important to understand that play is a very important part of a child’s development and growth. Many play toys are influenced by the media including toys made from cartoon characters and movie characters like princesses and superheroes. It is inevitable that our children and the way they play will likely be affected by their experiences with the media and media influenced toys. These toys may have an effect on children’s ways of playing including their choice of roles, themes, and level of activity to some extent.

Children in this stage start developing logical thinking skills. Kids in this age range may have difficulties with abstract thinking which may cause thinking patterns to be “black and white.” Empathy begins to develop as egocentric thinking starts declining. In this stage, children start to realize not everybody thinks the same things, has the same feelings or opinions that they may have. During this stage, it may become easier for children to see things from others perspectives. The last stage of development is the Formal Operational Stage is from adolescence years to adulthood.

Gender Role Development and the Effects on Children Children’s development is very important for them to identify themselves and learn about who they are. Gender roles creates a bit of a conflict because it teaches children at a very young age what they should and shouldn’t wear, what sports or activities are deemed acceptable, and they should act based on their gender. Most kids grow up to believe in this gender stereotype that girls are so supposed to act and dress a certain way and the same with boys. By breaking these social norms, it would be showing kids at a young age that they do not have to conform to these schemas. Gender roles are designed to put boys and girls into two different categories.

OT therapists can evaluate kids abilities and help them grow to be developmentally appropriate for their age (Occupational Therapy). They know many ways to help children with their disabilities. They know how to specifically solve the child 's problem in many ways. OT’s know what tools they need to use to fix the child’s problem to make sure the child will show improvement. OT’s “believe child 's main job is playing and learning, and occupational therapists can evaluate kids ' skills for playing, school performance, and daily activities” (Occupational Therapy).

Gender neutrality has been a topic concerning parents for decades. Generally, parents choose pink for girls versus blue for boys, dolls for girls versus trucks for boys, and nurses for girls versus doctors for boys. However, studies are beginning to show that toys played with in childhood greatly affect views on gender and stereotypes in later years. In addition, intensive research has revealed that parents show preference in intelligent boys and beautiful girls. Gender stereotypes are offensive and discouraging, and should be relinquished from a young age using gender neutrality.

This is a constant circle. The practitioner has to think of each child’s individual needs, interests and stage of development in order to plan for each child. A challenging and enjoyable experience should be planned for the children. All areas of development should be met throughout

Casey DeVaughn Ms. Wrenn English 2 Persuasive Essay Rough draft Imagine a world where females and males do not have conform to society 's expectations. Children learn to categorize themselves by gender usually by the age of 3. From birth, children learn gender stereotypes and roles from their parents and environment. In a traditional view, males learn to manipulate their physical and social environment through physical strength or dexterity, while girls learn to present themselves as objects to be viewed. Social constructionists claim for example that gender-segregated children 's activities create the appearance that gender differences in behavior reflect an essential nature of male and female behavior.I believe in