When raising a girl, how do you avoid giving her gender based toys but not make her a tomboy? Sorry if I do not make sense for I can not explain this clearly.
Give her toys that she wants. If she wants hot wheels, or legos give them to her. If she wants baby dolls, and barbies give them to her. Everybody is unique, and they should get to express themselfs in things they like, as in clothes, hair, makeup, toys, etc.... The way I was raised was If you want to do it, do it. If you want to dress a certain way do it. I got to express myself, in many diffrent ways.
My neice was the baby raised with three growing boys. She hated dolls, loved Ninja Turtles and animal figures. She could whip them if she really got mad. She's in her early twenties now, still loves animals and works at a pet store, still going to school as a vet assistant, has a boyfriend, and basically a girl with a good head on her shoulders. Oh she also stopped beating up her brothers...LOL
I have two girls and two boys. The two girls have different taste. The older one wants ball, football shoes, football uniform, and Tshirt from football teams. the other one likes barbie and something pink. No problem with me. Let them grow up as they want based on the family value that you teach them :D
I really don't think it makes any difference. Give them every type of toy and let them choose what they want to play with. Really. I had sons and daughters and everything was given to them The girls wanted dolls and cars, the boys wanted guns and cars.
Girl or boy, expose them to a wide variety of possibilities, encourage them to explore freely and boldly, support them in their choices, and don't hold them to being who you thought they were yesterday.
