I’m going to let these pictures do the talking today.
This is a Mechanix helicopter that A Jr made in his vacations with a little help from me towards the end, simply because after toiling for more than two hours over it and fastening and unfastening the many nuts and bolts over and over again his patience had more or less worn off and his eyes were close to getting moist.
All girls/women who at least once in their lives played with these miniature utensils and kitchen sets, please put your hands up! Well, I cannot see any raised hands now but am assuming there will be many.
I loved playing with this cute and tiny kitchen stuff as a child. Somehow, I feel my love for cooking too blossomed sometime then because even amid my mother’s stark disapproval and my Dad’s severe reprimands, I always squeezed my way into the kitchen at a young age and began my not-so-bad and edible culinary experiments.
I’m not the one to set gender-based preferences with my kids, but I don’t know why when someone suggested that I get a kitchen set for Angel to play with, I was completely averse to the idea. I even retorted saying, “She has her books and other toys. She doesn’t need it!”
Yes, I had one to play with as a child but parents back then didn’t really give so much thought to the impression such games left on children’s minds. Everybody had one, so did me and I liked it. My brother was obsessed with cars and had half a room full of them of all shapes and sizes. We never laid hands on each other’s toys.
I don’t want to be a stereotypical mother but I don’t want to be the one who doesn’t let her kids explore their own tastes and likes too. The helicopter isn’t necessarily for A Jr and only Angel doesn’t need to play toys that are traditionally meant for girls. My job right now is merely to give her exposure to a variety of things so she grows into an informed person.
Barbie sets, doctor sets, kitchen sets, doll houses, cars or yet another Mechanix set. She’s too young and can pick what she wants to play with when she’s ready, right?
That model looks awesome!! ????
And I’m gonna raise my hand for playing kitchen and ghar ghar! I think that’s what happens when you have two elder sisters… They force you to play it, lol.
But to be honest, I really enjoyed when I was small, playing ghar ghar, kitchen set and barbie houses (yeah, my sister created a miniature home for her once, and I was her assistant, lol)
But I think I never had this feeling ki boys should play with THIS and girl with THIS! This is ridiculous when I think of it now.
Though I LOVED playing with Train Engines, setting tracks by joining them and turning the key to power it!!! ????????
My my….looks like I reminded you a lot of your childhood. ????????
Boys played ghar ghar with us too. I did the cooking and my brother brought vegetables from the market. ???? It is fun, isn’t it? We never thought of boy or girl games then. We just liked it.
Trains? Sheldon Cooper in the making? You are a master of many trades. How cute! ????
It was just a part of my childhood, picture to abhi baaki h Di! haha lol, by the way, I am still living my childhood, ain’t I?
Phew….good that you said it! I didn’t want to remind you that you haven’t grown up yet. ????
I’m still a panda! There’s no way I am growing up. I just have to sleep, eat, study, write and eat bamboo! hahaha
Eat bamboo? For real? ???????? ????
Don’t grow up. There’s no fun in it. Sirf dil hi nahi, hum bhi bacche hi rehne chahiye. That’s how we get to enjoy life. ☺
Pandas love eating bamboo! Don’t they? (Di, my body won’t be able to digest bamboo I think *my inner biology student woke up*)
haha, I hope you’re still living your childhood! 🙂
Hahahaha….biology students are mighty practical. You will learn pretty soon. (Talking from experience!) ????
I am, sometimes. Get to be a kid again with my kids. Feels good. ????
Mighty practical? In what way? Couldn’t get it.
Haha, Angel and her brother might remind you your childhood, haha
Um, we don’t easily ignore things that cannot happen or consider them for fun. Like you said ‘you cannot digest bamboo’. ????
Ohhh… Yeah, but I also like thinking about the possibility of the impossible, who knows if I build a time machine in future? ???????????? lol
Absolutely!
I made that too, several years ago! 😀 <3 You brought back such beautiful memories! Mom used to keep telling me to take a break and drink some nimbu paani, even as I pored over the model and didn't give up till it was complete. It used to be one of my favourite summer vacation pastimes…
Totally agree with your ideas of choosing toys for kids. It's freedom of expression that matters most, and neither gender nor social stereotypes should interfere with this. 🙂
I didn’t make these sets as much sd the homes with blocks. I loved those. I read a lot during vacations. Marathi…Hindi..English…anything. ☺
Ya, I think I’m lucky to have a son and a daughter. I can understand the difference in attitude and growing up better. The fun part is that both of them have busted myths and are totally u like their gender. ????
Cannot agree more, V! I too don’t bother to actually pamper my little Princess with Barbies for she seemed content with Sid’s Spider-Man. It still is her favorite but really I don’t find the reason to reason her likes.
I guess with siblings the equation changes a bit, doesn’t it? Just the other day she picked up a doll for herself and I let her. Whatever she chooses for herself is what matters.
In total agreement…we need to at least leave that to them
Absolutely!