SPARK Thinks Parents Are Stupid

     I have 3 children. My oldest is a 14 year old girl. When she was little she liked the dolls and "girly" stuff but as she got older she discovered bugs, trees and the great outdoors. She decided, on her own, that she did not like the "girly" stuff. She hated the whole pink and frilly thing. It's just not her thing, although we do reach a compromise when it comes to family dinners and such. Her decision.
     My middle child is a 9 year old boy. He had the choice between the dolls from his older sister and typical boy stuff and he chose the latter. His decision.
     Now, my youngest is also a girl. She's 6 years old. She had the choice between her older sister's dolls and her older brother's LEGOs and cars and baseball and she chose the former. She is ALL about pink and frills and ballet lessons. She's a total girly girl. Her decision.
     It's all about choices. SPARK claims to be about giving children choices and options yet they are petitioning LEGO in protest of their new line of LEGOs. They feel it is too stereotypical towards girls and the role of women. We the parents make the choice. The children make the choice. If a girl wants to play with dolls and her easy bake oven she has that choice. If a boy wants to play with cars and guns he has that choice. Boys will be boys and girls will be girls, they can be whomever they want to be, they have that choice. SPARK does not decide what choices we have. SPARK believes that we the parents are too stupid to make our own choices. They think they can make them for us by deciding what products are put on the shelf.
     The consumer will decide what products will be put on the shelf simply by buying or not buying whatever a company is offering. I was talking to my teenager's friend this morning and she said she doesn't like that LEGO changed the look of the people in these new sets. They're smaller and the hands are different. If she were into typical girl stuff, that would be the problem she has with LEGO.
     Groups like SPARK want to limit our choices according to what they believe are the "right" choices. I will decide what is right for my child. My child will decide who he or she wants to be. No groups or organizations or governments will make those decisions for us.

Scott B.