Commercialized Gender Messages

Today my mom and I went shopping for my cousins in the toy department at a store in our local mall. We were both shocked by how separated toys are for girls and boys. It was frustrating because as much as I don't want to solidify the gender messages that society sends to kids, I don't want to be reactionary and I don't want to offend the kids' mom. I just want to get the kids a present that they'll enjoy. I talked to my mom about it and she said that when my brother was little, there was a big push to make more toys for all sexes and genders. There were dolls that could be for a boy or a girl and there was a greater emphasis on selling toys for kids rather than for boys or for girls. She was disgusted that society has moved away from this and gone completely in the opposite direction. This doesn't mean that toys need to change drastically, it just means that marketing needs to change. Having a girl aisle and a boy aisle is sad, especially when it's for little kids who just want to play with the shiniest thing they find. One of the things that bothers me the most with gendered toy aisles is the easy bake oven. No one can say that boys don't like easy bake ovens. At the same time, any boy that asks for one for Christmas either A) has to become a chef when he's older or B) is gay. When it comes to toys, I think guys have more rigid restrictions on what they're allowed to want. It makes me so sad and so frustrated thinking that we do this to young kids. Even if parents assure their kids that they can want whatever they want, society will continue to pressure kids to conform to the existing gender standards.