The diversity of toys that surround a child's life is a universe of colors, shapes, and infinite possibilities. It constitutes the first great stage where young minds rehearse the roles that society expects them to assume in adulthood.
As in any space of its kind, at the Regalarte store in this city, the choice of a simple toy car or a toy kitchen reveals an uncomfortable truth: gender stereotypes are far from being a thing of the past, and parents themselves are, often unwittingly, their main guardians.
A team of 26 visited this particular establishment to confirm a reality that its employees observe daily. There, its owner, Mayelin Leyva Cue, describes scenes that are a precise reflection of cultural inertia.
THE PINK AND BLUE AISLE DICHOTOMY
“We often see girls come in and, despite having dolls and beauty sets within reach, head straight for cars, trucks, or even airplanes,” she says. The surprise isn’t in the girl’s choice, but in the reaction of the accompanying adult, almost always her mother.
“Some mothers simply tell their daughters, ‘No, that’s for boys. Choose something else.’ The same thing happens with boys who want a toy kitchen or a cleaning set. Their parents insist they pick a ball or a water gun. It’s as if the wrong toy could derail their future,” she explains.
The case of the little girl who chooses an airplane and is met with her mother’s categorical refusal is perhaps the most striking example of this cultural resistance. Is a young girl's choice of a high-flying vehicle merely a playful preference, or could it be an early aspiration to conquer space, technology, or independence?
THE PYGMALION EFFECT IN TOYS
The parents' attitude isn't malicious; it's deeply rooted in a belief system that has dictated, for centuries, what is "appropriate" for each gender. The toy car is an extension of speed, mechanics, and the mastery of public space—roles historically attributed to men. The kitchen and the doll, meanwhile, reaffirm the traditional place of women in the domestic sphere and caregiving.
What these parents overlook, and what constitutes the true crux of this problem, is the powerful message of limitation they instill in their children's minds.
If a girl is forbidden from playing with a car, what subtext does she receive? "Your interest in engineering or speed isn't valid." "The role of driver or explorer doesn't belong to you." “There’s a whole world of skills (spatial, mechanical) that aren’t for you…”
Leyva Cue sums it up with a lucid reflection: “The mother doesn’t realize that her little girl could be a perfect driver one day and an excellent driver, maybe even an automotive engineer. And the boy who chooses a toy kitchen could be an excellent chef or have a culinary talent that he’ll never explore for fear of ridicule or prohibition.”
BREAKING THE CHAINS OF STEREOTYPES
Social science is clear on this. Toys are not just objects of entertainment; they are learning tools that develop essential cognitive and social skills.
Let’s look at some examples. Cars and blocks: they foster the development of spatial awareness, construction logic, and problem-solving (STEM skills, referring to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Dolls and kitchens: they promote empathy, language, nurturing, and narrative creativity (social and artistic skills).
By restricting toy choices, we are amputating the development of a set of skills that a person will need in the future, regardless of gender. A boy playing with a toy kitchen is learning to nurture, create, plan, and care—valuable attributes for anyone in adulthood, male or female. Similarly, a girl flying a toy airplane is exercising her ambition and technical skills.
The true goal of modern education, and of gender equality, is not to force girls to play with toy cars or boys with dolls, but to give them unconditional freedom to choose what stimulates their curiosity and natural talents.
The Regalarte store in Las Tunas has thus become a small social barometer, measuring the pressure of an outdated tradition. The next time a child approaches the hallway they've been forbidden from using, society, embodied by their parents, has the opportunity to rewrite the script, to silence the prejudice, and simply say: “Choose what makes you happy. Choose what teaches you something.”
The future of equality begins in the toy basket. The responsibility lies with the parents.
