The toy store litmus test

Toys-R-Us recently opened a branch in a mall near us. The first few weeks, the line to the cashier winded from cashier booth to the end of the store. I overheard one man tell his child not to get in line, lest he contract disease from any of the children in line.

Months later, paranoid parents should be glad to know there are no longer any lines over there these days.

We took advantage of the buzz dying down by setting Malaya down the aisle between the girls' section (Barbies and Pink things) and the guy's section (Cars and Robots).

Before I proceed, I'd like to clarify that not the whole store is segregated by gender. There's a baby section, an electronic educational toys section, a boardgames section (with standard fare, no Lords of Waterdeep here), a party goodies section, etc etc. 

What's interesting is that the gender segregated aisles are at the very entrance of the store.

First, I wish girl stuff came in colors other than pink.

Second, I wish things weren't identified as "Boy's stuff" and "Girl's stuff"

I wish boys weren't influenced at this age that they were limited to cars and robots while girls weren't limited to dolls and everything pink.

They're just playing, but that's how they learn. For all you know, you might be limiting a future formula 1 racer from reaching her potential because "Pang boy man na!"

It also insidiously plants at this very influential stage that your identity is defined by what material things you surround yourself with instead of what you do.

Of course, that's what parents are for - to teach children not to trust advertising and build them up enough that they won't need external factors to affirm them/make them feel good about themselves.

Woe is the gullible.

On the other hand, what he finds entertaining now does not indicate what he will enjoy when he grows up. The boy is as alert and curious in a toy store at this point in his life as he is in a hardware store. He does not have any idea that playdo is for children while plain dough is for bakers. It's the same mushy stuff he'll most likely put in his mouth and I have a feeling plain dough is safer.

Toys have no gender. Powertools have no gender. I wonder if babies even care for any sort of labelling yet.

So yeah, I got sidetracked by a rant there. You wanna know where Malaya went?

Butterfly!

P.S. Daddy put him nearer the girl's side.