I'm really saddened by your comments on some of these toys and the placement of certain toys on this list. Many disparging that children would want to emulate certain jobs and others that disparges that children would mimic natural parts of life.
Mimicry of adults is a natural part of childhood. They will pretend to do jobs that they see others do. They explore gender roles such as boys pretending to be like Mommy and girls pretending to be like Daddy. They pretend to run a business and do the jobs inside those businesses such as a restaurant, airport, hotel, laundromat, grocery store, hospital, and even funeral homes.
This mimicry isn't anything to be upset or even deter them from engaging in. They are just trying to explore the world around them through safe play. They learn to be empathetic, compassionate, nurturing along with learning skills such as mathematics, reading, writing, and critical thinking.
It is astounding and sad that people would be disgusted by toys that have been around in one form or another since before written history. Pregnancy is natural and by discouraging children from having pregnant dolls we teach them that there is something wrong with pregnant women. That pregnant women are disgusting, shameful, or weird. By reviling a breastfeeding doll we teach them that breastfeeding is disgusting, shameful, or weird. That pets are gross, that janitors are beneath them, that certain textures are icky and unclean.
While I agree the price on some of these toys are outlandish, we shouldn't be so quick to label the natural developmentally important child's play as weird, shameful, disgusting, or sexual. Sex is a very complex concept that children don't understand, much less have sexual feelings. Children understand that women get pregnant and often the babies grow inside their mothers. Babies can be fed by breasts. People will use clean and some people have jobs cleaning places.
Mimicry of adults is a natural part of childhood. They will pretend to do jobs that they see others do. They explore gender roles such as boys pretending to be like Mommy and girls pretending to be like Daddy. They pretend to run a business and do the jobs inside those businesses such as a restaurant, airport, hotel, laundromat, grocery store, hospital, and even funeral homes.
This mimicry isn't anything to be upset or even deter them from engaging in. They are just trying to explore the world around them through safe play. They learn to be empathetic, compassionate, nurturing along with learning skills such as mathematics, reading, writing, and critical thinking.
It is astounding and sad that people would be disgusted by toys that have been around in one form or another since before written history. Pregnancy is natural and by discouraging children from having pregnant dolls we teach them that there is something wrong with pregnant women. That pregnant women are disgusting, shameful, or weird. By reviling a breastfeeding doll we teach them that breastfeeding is disgusting, shameful, or weird. That pets are gross, that janitors are beneath them, that certain textures are icky and unclean.
While I agree the price on some of these toys are outlandish, we shouldn't be so quick to label the natural developmentally important child's play as weird, shameful, disgusting, or sexual. Sex is a very complex concept that children don't understand, much less have sexual feelings. Children understand that women get pregnant and often the babies grow inside their mothers. Babies can be fed by breasts. People will use clean and some people have jobs cleaning places.