by Kris Brewer

Created on: November 13, 2007

Your niece's birthday is coming upso you buy a Barbie doll. You are looking for a gift for your sonso you go to the GI Joes, or footballs. You have just fallen into the gender specific, stereotypical gifts trap. Such gifts are certainly not bad, and they do help to develop strong gender identities, but buying such gifts all the time is not necessary, nor advisable. Besides, there are plenty of gifts that you can buy that are "gender neutral", that is, gifts that are perfectly fine for either a boy or a girl. There are several situations in which these types of gifts are advisable, such as when parents don't care for gender specific toys, and when a gift is going to be given to an undisclosed recipient (such as toys for tots, or some such program). So how can you make sure to not buy a gender specific, and stereotypical gift? Here are a few suggestions, and some examples of gifts that are gender neutral.

First, you have to understand what a gender stereotypical gift is so that you can avoid it. Any toy that seems to reinforce the typical roles of boys and girls would fall into this category. Strictly feminine toys, such as baby dolls, kitchen sets, play jewelry and play dress up outfits are examples of stereotypical toys for girls. Masculine toys, such as guns, footballs, trucks, and tools are all examples of stereotypical toys for boys. These toys are often designed to instill femininity in girls and masculinity in boys.

Once you understand what makes a toy specifically for a girl, or for a boy, it is much easier to avoid those stereotypes. Then, you have a couple of different options. First, there is the possibility to buy toys that cross the stereotypical lines. This is probably not the best option, as it may cause some girls to take on what some would consider an inappropriate masculine mentality, and boys to take on a what some would consider an inappropriate effeminate mentality. One toy is not going to make a girl masculine, or a boy effeminate, but a pattern of such toys may cause many of the same problems that people are trying to avoid by not buying gender specific toys in the first place! The second option is to buy gifts that are gender neutral. These toys are appropriate for both boys and girls. In this case, you can purchase a toy that does not influence a child in either a masculine or feminine way.

Now, lets consider a few good options of gifts that have nothing to do with gender, and therefore can work well as a gift for either a boy or a girl.

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