Gift Giving: Avoiding Gender Stereotypes

Your niece's birthday is coming up...so you buy a Barbie doll. You are looking for a gift for your son...so 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. This list, especially in today's environment, can be very long, so just use these examples as a starting point for your gift shopping.

1. Board and Card Games. There are an amazing number of games available today. We aren't talking about the old faithful standby games, such as monopoly, but the more modern and fun games that will be welcomed by either boys or girls. Games such as Apples to Apples and Cranium are sweeping the country with great reviews. Card games such as Uno, or Rook are also great options. Take a stroll down the game isle at Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us, and you will get many ideas for these types of gifts.

2. Movies or Videos. Movies or TV shows on DVD make great gifts. It is also easy to choose movies and videos for specific age groups. There are plenty of opportunities available for purchase, from children's educational television shows, to the latest movie releases. Sure, there are "guy movies" and "chick flicks", but on the whole, there are an endless number of videos available for purchase. It has become very popular to buy whole seasons of a favorite TV show for a gift. If you can find a show that is a favorite, it will make a wonderful gift!

3. Action Figures. Granted, some action figures are very gender specific, but with the popularity of video games, and movies, many action figures cross the gender lines. Look for figures that are popular among kids, and which are current with the original sources, whether it be movies or video games. If your goal here is to avoid stereotypical gifts, make sure that you choose wisely. This would be an easy place to choose the wrong kind of figure, and defeat your own purpose!

4. Video Games. With the preponderance of video game systems, and the expense of most video games, making a gift of the video games themselves is much appreciated. It is important to research the games, and find those that are appropriate for specific age groups. Try to avoid games that may be construed as for one particular gender. Sports games should be avoided, as they are typically aimed at males, and feminine games, such as those that allow girls to upload pictures of themselves and do "makeovers". Role playing games are very popular and most are gender neutral, due to the variety of characters that a player has to choose from.

5. Audio or Video Equipment. If you are looking for a gift for an older child, or teenager, there are some great options. MP3 players are a good choice. There are some very economical models available if you are not hung up on the name band of "iPod". Another option is a portable DVD player. They have been going down in price, and make a reasonably priced option that will be a huge hit with your recipient.

These are just a few of the options that are available for gender neutral gifts. There are any number of other choices available. Just shop with an open mind, and you will see an unending realm of possibilities. You can certainly avoid the stereotypes of gender, if you will heed the suggestions given in this article.