Fond toy stove memories

Dear Readers: A question from “Wondering Parents” raised the topic of giving “gender stereotypical” toys to children. (They were admonished for wanting to give their daughter a toy kitchen set for Christmas.)

This brought a huge response from readers reminiscing about and praising the qualities of toy kitchens.

On this day when so many children are exploring the outer limits of their capacity for joyful play, here is a sampling of responses.

Dear Amy: More than 30 years ago, our son wanted a toy kitchen for Christmas. My husband was against it (he thought it a “girl toy”).

A grocery store was giving away a toy kitchen. My son won it! He played with it for years. He is now an incredible chef.

Colleen

Dear Amy: I have two boys — 6 and 3 — who show every sign of loving gender-typical toys like cars and trucks.

They also love the toy kitchen we bought when our older one was 3.

They see both Mom and Dad cooking meals, and they want to do the same.

We continue to enjoy fake coffee and wooden pizza!

Happy Parents

Dear Amy: Our neighbors have two kids, a girl and a boy, six months apart in age.

The little girl is a wild child in the best way — she plays with insects, snakes, rocks, etc.

The little boy plays with dolls and kitchen things.

When he was asked about this, he said, “I’m playing house, and I’m the dad!”

So much for gender stereotyping!

Proud Neighbor

Dear Amy: When I was 3, my constant companion was a doll named Karen Marie, the name I would have been given if I’d been born a girl.

Ours was a traditional Idaho family: Mom was a housewife, and Dad was a railroader and farmer.

I evolved to play with “boy toys” but my brother and I were very happy when he accidentally got a child’s cookbook at a school gift exchange. We enjoyed making dishes from it for years.

I don’t carry a doll, but I still do all the family cooking.

Old Wood Pile

Dear Amy: My dad built a toy kitchen for use in our basement playroom.

All of us played with it, and all of us, including my brother, are excellent cooks and enjoy cooking.

Now my granddaughter and grandson play with it. My daughter made an exchangeable top that turns it into a doctor’s office.

Bases Covered

Dear Amy: As a former preschool teacher with 19 years teaching adorable 3year-olds, I’d like to weigh in. Children will play with whatever interests them.

One year, we had an amazing child who every day put on a furry dog costume. No matter how hot, he put that costume on. When he was older, he created the most amazing Halloween costumes. Today, he is a student at one of the country’s top engineering colleges.

Playing with toys does not turn a child into something they’re not (just as wearing that dog costume did not turn my former student into a dog!).

Let them play, and turn off those screens! Devoted Teacher

Dear Teacher: Happy holidays to all the parents feasting on imaginary coffee and wooden pizza today, and to all the creative and playful kids “cooking” for them.