The issue I have with this is that I have a boy, and in this culture, pink is a color that is reserved for girls. I do not restrict my son from owning pink things, as I don’t agree with enforcing strict culturally imposed gender roles onto him. However, as a parent it is hard for me to see toys in pink that I want to buy for my son as I know that he will get teased if he owns a lot of pink things. It is especially difficult to purchase a large and expensive item like a kitchen when it so obviously is coded by the pink color for girls. When all of the accessories are pink as well, even the things that he will wear like the chefs hat, apron, and oven mitts, I admittedly have a hard time overlooking all of the pink, and I know I am probably far more lenient in this area than most parents of boys. I know that toy companies are not ignorant of this color coding tactic, as all one has to do is walk down the halls of the toy aisle and see the loads of dolls intended for girls that are dressed in pastels such as pink and lavender. If toys were more gender neutral in the first place and came in a variety of colors, including pink, I would not have a problem with buying a large pink toy for my son, but that is simply not the case.

I don’t like the message this sends to my son. It seems that Target is saying that only girls should enjoy playing with a kitchen, wearing a chef’s hat and apron, and making pizza and cupcakes. Is Target not aware of all of the famous male chefs? What if a child’s father works as a chef or a cook, how will that child feel when he sees that all of the kitchen toys are designed for girls only? What if a child’s father is the one who prepares meals in the home? In this age of women working outside the home as well as men, and both men and women sharing household duties, why is Target taking us back to the 1950’s by heavily implying that only girls should be in the kitchen? What message does this send our girls? Why would we ever want to pigeon hole our children into archaic roles that are no longer even reflected in society today? All of the household toys that you carry in your store should be gender neutral.

Target welcomes everyone to shop in our stores and has a long history of offering a large assortment of merchandise to a wide variety of guests. Though we serve a significant number of families across the country, we also serve many guests with diverse tastes and interests. Occasionally, we carry merchandise that some guests may find objectionable, as was your experience.

I apologize that you’ve been disappointed by our toy selection. Your feedback is a big help to us, so I’ll be sure to share your comments with our toy buyers for further review.

Have questions or want more information about our stores, products or service? Give us a call at (800) 440-0680. You can also drop by the Guest Services Desk at any store, or visit us on Target.com. Either way, we’re here to help!

Thanks for shopping with us. I hope we’ll see you again soon at Target.

Sincerely,