Emma B. sent in an image of this wonderful toy:
As Emma pointed out, commenters on digg seemed to mostly interpret it as a hotel housekeeper’s trolley, though the website referred to cleaning the house.
There is nothing inherently wrong with toys that allow kids to mimic doing household tasks. Kids like to play at doing what they see adults doing–in fact, it’s an essential part of development. I had a toy grocery cart as a kid and thought it was awesome, particularly when I forced my cat to ride in it (he was very patient).
What annoys me is the way these products are so clearly gendered–in this case, blatantly so (“girls only“). Girls learn that playing at household chores is fun fun fun:
To my surprise, though, I found one site that showed a boy playing with the cleaning trolley:
I don’t think I’ve ever before seen a cleaning toy with a boy pictured playing with it. And that’s awesome. Though for reasons that are not clear to me, this site listed the trolley at $158, while it was $35-45 at all the other websites.
So I was able to find one example of a boy playing with a housework toy, but the overall marketing message was still clearly that housework is fun for girls…only.
NEW (Dec. ’09)! Lynne S. sent in these photos of housework toys at Toys ‘R Us that include both girls and boys playing:
ALSO NEW (Dec. ’09)! Fia K. found some examples too:
See also this post featuring screen shots from a site that advertises masculine toys primarily with girls.
But see these posts on the Rose Petal Cottage, rigidly gendered Sears and Amazon catalogs, and Mom/Daughter domesticity by Nintendo.
Comments 34
Jillian C. York — October 13, 2009
If I ever have sons, mark my words, they'll be playing with a cleaning trolley from the day they can stand up.
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist — October 13, 2009
right on, Jillian!
katyhalo — October 13, 2009
It's interesting that the trolley pictured with the boy is not in the pink and purple colours of the one pictured at the top of the post, but in 'boy' colours like blue and green.
Reanimated Horse — October 13, 2009
Ooh, it's a secret club for girls only! My cleaning trolley and nobody else's! How illicit and cool! It feels like rebellion so it must be empowering!
p.s. I agree, Jillian.
Reanimated Horse — October 13, 2009
Also am I the only one sickened by the group picture? I feel like I'm seeing child labor glamorized.
Andrea Learned — October 13, 2009
The trolley that the boy is playing with is much less "pink"... I am guessing the kids don't care what color it is, it's just the fun (?) of cleaning.. so why must the trolley be so extremely gender-packaged when it clearly is fun for everyone...? Thanks for posting this. Gender stereotypes are so embedded in kids toys (especially the big plastic kind)!
citizenparables — October 13, 2009
@RH Your tongue-in-cheek comment brings a question to mind - a question , I must admit, only partially related to the one at hand, but there you are...
My childhood experience was that at primary school (early years) boys and girls were indeed liable to form gender-exclusive secret 'clubs' etc. The main agenda of these clubs seemed to be to march around the playground singing 'girls are the best - boys are pests' or the reverse. I don't think this phenomenon is rare.
My question is; to what degree is separating ourselves along gender lines as children an naturally inherent identity-forming behaviour? Nobody compelled us to organise ourselves this way. It was not teacher-directed. Yes, one could argue that we had absorbed enough gender stereotyping through products etc to have become brainwashed, and a powerful need to conform, to join the group where we would be allowed entry rather than face exclusion. However, I'm inclined to believe that the impetus for assuming and declaring a gender identity (even to the point of adopting what adults might call 'gender stereotypes') is a step along the road to individuation:
"I am a girl. That is something special about me. I will own and declare my girl-identity by shouting it both literally and in visual signs that my society recognises"
If we were to wipe clean the signs socially associated with distinct gender identity (which seems to be an implied goal/ideal of many posters), would we not rob children of one tool or pathway by which they can empower themselves by loudly & proudly declaring their gender identity?
Penny — October 13, 2009
From the last website, "We specialize on HARD-TO-FIND products and we can overnight (please call first)."
I wonder if the one in primary colors is more expensive because that color scheme isn't as easy to find in stores? isn't produced anymore or in the same quantities?
Anyway, it's still a hunk of plastic. Might be a better choice to make your own "cleaning trolley" for a kid, with real brushes and brooms and such.
Sabriel — October 13, 2009
Though for reasons that are not clear to me, this site listed the trolley at $158, while it was $35-45 at all the other websites.
That's simple. The time men spend doing work is valued at a higher rate, and so the trolly will be more expensive in order to reflect that. After all, the red and yellow trolly is being used for "real work," while the pink and white trolly is being used for "women's work."
This is just accommodating children to the pay gap at a young age. Nothing to be concerned over. It's natural.
(I'm joking! ;) The red and yellow trolly is probably harder to find because girls were the target demographic and so they didn't make very many that weren't pink. Low supply + high demand = difference in price. Logical.)
KD — October 13, 2009
I went to the local mall toy store a few weeks ago to study the gendering of the products, and found, of all things, a set of unisex cleaning toys. They were bright primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) and the minimal packing showed a crayon drawing of a stick-figure boy and girl holding the toys. They had a kidsized mop, broom, feather duster, and ironing board for sale. I wondered if they were toys to get the kids into cleaning up after themselves, except I can't imagine a child using an ironing board.
Jem — October 13, 2009
This is too weird! My brother and sister in law have this for their kids(a three and a half year old girl and a 2 year old boy),the reason I said that it is too weird btw is because they also have that rose petal cottage toy(I've also commented on that post). They have the pink and purple one. In general from what I have noticed when I have been over at their house is that the trolly and the cottage along with barbie and babydolls are all,for the most part in my neices room. If anyone is looking at buying it I would suggest not to. It's not worth $35 dollars. The only way that I would get this is if it was on sale second hand for like $10.
Dr. Robert Runte — October 13, 2009
I can't help but notice that the one boy playing with the cleaning trolly is wearing suspenders. I don't know about where you come from, but in my world, suspenders = working class.
SarahMC — October 13, 2009
Even in the group picture of the "neutrally" colored toy, all the kids playing with it are girls.
I would have no problem with the toy in primary colors, marketed to boys and girls. Everyone should learn to appreciate and take responsibility for cleaning. But once they pinkify it and slap "Girls Only" on it, it's ruined in my mind.
MeToo — October 14, 2009
I'm thinking back to my own early childhood in the 1970s -- I had a toy oven/stove, fridge, and ironing board with iron (and probably other household-type toys I can't remember now). I thought they were pretty great at the time, even though I wasn't a very 'girly' girl; I had a stay-at-home mother who modeled the activities in her daily life for me. None of those toys were pink, and only the iron was plastic (everything else was metal). In addition to the pinkification of 'girl' toys, I also can't get over all of the plastic that children are exposed to today, and wonder about the health and environmental consequences.
I, too, had a very patient cat in my toy grocery cart, lol. (He didn't even seem to mind the doll clothes we'd dress him in.)
Julia — October 16, 2009
When I was a child I made myself a play kit basically like this, using magic marker to draw faces on old scrubbrushes, etc. I was going to have a house-cleaning business (which would be fun because my brushes and sponges would have arms and faces, kind of like dolls).
I'm not sure whether I would have done the same as a boy. At the time I knew about cleaning ladies but not cleaning men, so I doubt I would have come up with it.
Futile « auradis — October 19, 2009
[...] Among other products I consider heinous is My Cleaning Trolley, via Sociological Images: [...]