Saturday 11 February 2012

Why I Shall Keep Buying LEGO Friends

As those who know me understand I am very much a people person, and so really enjoy attending blogging, brand, and press launch events that I get invited to. If I think it is an event I shall enjoy and learn from, and also something that you may find interesting hearing about, I am more than happy to accept those invitations.

When one landed in my inbox from LEGO Friends I have to say the fact it was being held here and there  would be a lovely indulgent breakfast served, it did get a very quick " Thank you for the invitation and I would be delighted to attend" response. This event was of interest to me especially, as there has been so much coverage of the new LEGO Friends, and some of it not favourable. Thinking the range stereotypes genders, too girly, even perhaps stifling of girls ambitious career plans for the future. I was also quite  shocked to hear there maybe even plans for petitions to get the range off the shelves....


I am perhaps what one would call a girly girl, pink is one of my favourite colours and so a range like this shall always get the thumbs up from me. I also have a daughter, a 10 year old daughter as it happens and who loves playing with LEGO, what ever the colour. When we were in a toy shop over Christmas, she had some money to spend and straight away went over to the shelves of LEGO Friends where it had only just been launched and bought a set for herself. She liked the look of it, I was happy with her to buy it and she loves it. We don't own a wii, an xbox, or DSi and am very much encouraging of my children to still play with *toys* as such. Ten year old Miss. Poppins has the most incredible imagination, has won awards for her story telling, is bright, and very ahead of her years. As her parent I want my daughter to decide for herself what she may like to play with, how SHE feels she should be as a young person growing up, and not how others think she should be. She was excited about me going along to hear more about the new friends range.

When I arrived here....


And was greeted by these....


I made my way down to where the event was being held. It was a lovely intimate get together, very personable, relaxed, friendly and I had great fun playing with the LEGO.




The range was developed after four, yes four years of extensive LEGO research of finding out what girls want, and this it seems is what is wanted. It is certainly what MY daughter wants and am guessing on reading the many, many positive threads on this range is what other girls want to. It may not be what you want, or indeed what your daughter wants, but I can't help but feel I would be doing my intelligent daughter a disservice by saying she SHOULD not be playing with such things. If she wants to dream of being a hairdresser, a pop star, a baker, a candle stick maker, an astronaut, a scientist, a prime minister, or indeed any career, I want to let her. My 5 yr old son loves playing with his LEGO, he also enjoys doing role play and has fun with the friends sets, and I am more than happy to let him do so. In my opinion LEGO is just trying to meet the demands and interests of many young girls and as for limiting her imagination, well have a little look at what Mark Stafford came up with using some LEGO friends...


LOVE the lipstick claws ;)

I can often be the person that sits on the fence regarding the (so many) debates online you see, though on this one, have stepped off just a little and want to let you know I love it, my daughter loves it, we shall keep buying it and look forward to the second wave which shall be released later this year around August. In fact I had to nip into Harrod's ( as you do ) on my way home to pick a little something up for my daughter, and guess what she wanted....


When I got home, she greeted me with a lovely hug and couldn't wait to have a little play with her new set. She loves intermixing some of the LEGO CITY with it too, and don't they say variety is the spice of life....



If playing with some pink themed lego brings a smile to my precious daughter's face, then I am all for it....

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22 comments:

  1. knitandmake.blogspot.com11 February 2012 at 14:49

    I think they look lovely. I can't understand the problem if people don't want their daughters playing with it don't let them have it, never understood people getting their knickers in a knot over stuff like this.

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    1. Mary Poppins11 February 2012 at 15:01

      Thanks for your feedback. As a passionate, wear heart on sleeve person have been quite taken aback by the *debate*. I am the parent of my own daughter and know her and what she wants/likes and is interested in. and you are so right, don't buy it if it isn't for you. Thanks again x

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  2. Kelly11 February 2012 at 14:56

    Why wouldn't parents let their Daughters play with Lego? Strange! Sophie has lots of bricks and big lego it encourages problem solving and logic. More useful than how to push a pram around (not that thats not great!) but then thats coming from a female engineer! Equally I can't see the problem with boys having a doll, James looks after Sophie just as much as me!!!!

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    1. Mary Poppins11 February 2012 at 15:03

      Thanks Kelly, I have had big chats with my own husband on all this LEGO Friends stuff, and he just doesn't get it, even he likes it! We should be encouraging our children to play with all sorts of toys, let them make up their own mind I say! x

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  3. Nearly there Claire11 February 2012 at 16:07

    I've never heard of it Mary...but as I'm Mum to 2 burly Lego loving lads I'm keen for the company to keep on going from strength to strength all these years down the line. I'm confused though as PINK LEGO has been out for years so why the big 'hoo-hah' all of a sudden?

    Anyhow, lovely to pop in and 'see you', it's been a while. x

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:09

      Thanks Claire, lovely to *see* you too :) For me is all a bit of a hoo-haa, like you say, and if my DD loves it, and is imo quite harmless then am all for it! x

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  4. bellaboo11 February 2012 at 16:20

    There are so many rubbish toys out there that it's nice to see Lego is still as popular as ever and that it appeals to boys AND girls.I used to teach in a nursery school,and the boys would enjoy sewing,cooking and playing in the home corner with dolls just as much as the girls. :0)

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:10

      I agree Bellaboo, let children play with what they want, my five yr old son loves LEGO friends too....Oh dear am I damaging him somehow. I think not! Thanks for your feedback x

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  5. Louise11 February 2012 at 17:47

    Funnily enough my two girls are playing with these sets that they bought this morning. I haven't understood the whoohaa about this range, if we are talking about career examples, you have a vet and inventor (both very academic careers), ok you have a beauty salon but who is to say that not a valid career option. IMO feminism is about women having choices and why is one choice more valid than another. It doesn't matter if a woman wants to be a vet, inventor, beautician, solider or plumber they are all equally valid choices. The role playing my girls have been doing with this set is not different to any other toys they play with, in fact you could say is been a bit more positive "I don't care if people call me a geek as I'm a brilliant inventor and love doing that!" I don't understand why someone would consider banning this range, I think there are worse female role models on the market than this. I'm sure this stuff will be combined with the Harry Potter and City stuff we already have to create some FrankenLego game! I'm off to google other viewpoints now......

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:13

      Thank you so much Louise for your very articulate feedback, I am so with you on everything you mentioned and genuinely can't understand the fuss, is lego geared to a girls market, and who after 4 years of research have said this is want they want. Don't like, don't buy I say. Thanks again xx

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  6. Lx @ Twelve11 February 2012 at 20:56

    What a lot of rumpus over nothing!!!

    The 8 year old is loving her lego freinds sets & they are being used alongside her brothers Mahoosive lego collection.... She is saving her pennies for more & has added it to her other lego & built her own designs..

    My best freinds daughter had the Harry Potter Castle for christmas & there wasn't a pink brick in sight..

    Love Lego

    Lx

    Hope the grumpy ones stand on a brick....

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:44

      Ha Ha Lydia, horses for courses isn't it, I agree a rumpus over not much at all really. There are so many toys geared for girls, why can't LEGO have a bash at it too....

      PS Still waiting ;))) Lubs ya xx

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  7. Muddy Puddle Crafts11 February 2012 at 21:28

    My daughter turns 8 this week & all she has asked for is LEGO friends and Play Mobil. She often high jacks her 5 yr old brothers sets and was over the moon when she came across LEGO friends! Between the family she is having a few bits of both brands & I know she'll be in her element letting her imagination run wild. I'm also pretty sure the 2 of them will find a way of linking it to his LEGO city sets. I totally agree lets kids be kids & play with the toys that we used to!

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:47

      Thanks for your comment, Yes indeedy Let kids be kids, well said! We have LEGO of all sorts here and Friends imo is just another branch leading off from the other stuff that has been around for years. x

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  8. Amanda12 February 2012 at 18:03

    I loved Lego and played with my brother's. I think these sets are great. As to the 'debate' over it I look at it like this, if it had been out in my day I would have bought it. Theres more to worry about for young girls than pink Lego.

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:50

      Thanks Amanda, and a very valid point. SO much more for kids to worry about and us as parents to worry about regarding our young children. I would rather have my daughter sitting at home playing with some pink lego with pink and girly-esque mini figures, than out on the streets....x

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  9. Bex12 February 2012 at 23:03

    Loved being this event with you and really agree with you. i got the inventors studio in my pack and my son said but isnt that for boys mum! Ha! That sort of knocks it on its head. interestingly my husband prefers this range becasue the luittle people are realistic. Horses for courses. Playmobil been doing a wide range of girls/boys/unisex aimed toys for years no one batted abn eyelid!

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:52

      Hi Becky, thanks for commenting and was lovely to meet you again, wish we could have spent a little longer in each others company. At another event perhaps :) Anyway back to LEGO, I agree so much with your comments, and like you say stuff for girls/boys etc has been around for donkey's years and everyone was happy as Larry. x

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  10. Gem13 February 2012 at 09:28

    I can't believe that people are so against this range, it is lego for goodness sake, does it matter what colour it is or that girls are playing with it. If girls want to play with lego they will play with it no matter what colour it is made with, so it may as well cater to what girls like as well as boys. They are children, let them be children. I love your take on it and think it is great that your children don't have games consoles.
    The problem now a days is so many children don't have imaginations and don't know how to play, surely that is stopping them from developing and going out to get these great careers that parents want for their children.

    I used to love playing with lego (still do hehee) it never did me any harm, and when I have children of my own, girls or boys they will be able to play with what ever toys they want, just like you have allowed yours to do.
    I am so with you on this debate x x x x

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    1. Mary Poppins14 February 2012 at 20:56

      Thank you so much Gem for your valid and worthwhile comments and I agree with you on every point. I too enjoy playing with Lego, and is pink all the way for me. Many ( not all)girls like dolls, are we now saying young girls shouldn't play with those??

      Thanks again Gem x

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  11. Beki14 February 2012 at 21:02

    I just don't get all the hype, I tried for years to get Jess something like this and sadly at the time couldn't.
    As you said above, are they going to say girls shouldn't play with dolls next.
    Surely a bit of pink lego has to be better than sitting in front of a games console.

    B xxx

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  12. solveig17 February 2012 at 13:10

    I agree. My daughter likes lego but has never wanted her own until she saw this. I got her a little set to try and was so pleased to find a toy that involved her following the instructions to put it together herself and then playing with it. Think I might have to blog about it too!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. X

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