A leading child psychologist has blasted calls for children’s toys to be subjected to plain packaging laws as ‘completely ridiculous’.

Yahoo 7 reports, the Adelaide branch of international women’s group Zonta International submitted the proposal to the domestic violence and gender inequality Senate inquiry, calling for children’s toys to be subject to the same rules as cigarettes.

It claims packaging on children’s toys can lead to girls acting ‘sexy and dismissive’ and boys acting ‘dominant and macho’.

Michael Carr-Gregg, a child and adolescent psychologist, told Yahoo7 that the proposal was not based on any scientific facts or research.

“I find it amazing that in this day and age, with all the problems that are going on in the world, a charity is wasting time and energy on this,” he said.

“We have just had a Victorian commission into child abuse, I find it amazing that people are even talking about this.

“There are no scientific facts or basis to what they are saying and therefore it should be relegated to the garbage of irrelevance.

“It’s nonsense and completely ridiculous.”

The submission read: “Sexualisation of young children through products, dress, toys and cosmetics reinforces that girls should be sexy, submissive, and boys should be dominant, macho, important and strong.

“These products reinforce boys to grow to males that can be powerful and strong, and that girls need to be attractive and submissive to males. (We) suggest making a campaign like the successful plain packaging of cigarettes.”

What is the real issue?

Is the packaging the real concern these days? I think parents know that whatever the CHILD chooses is totally cool, no matter what the packaging says. We just need other people to respect those choices.

Yesterday we shared a viral post from one mum who was upset a parent had laughed at her sons sock choice. “When your child pointed out my SON had love hearts on his socks, and mocked them for being GIRLS socks you absolutely tore apart my faith in this world, because you agreed and laughed along with your child.”

We have had the Dad who let his son dress up as Elsa.

Kelly Kirkpatrick wrote an article for Mouths of Mums stating Why pink and blue don’t matter - “Don’t be afraid to tell your friends that your son likes My Little Pony and not Ninja Turtles.”

We had a discussion on the forum where one mum wrote – “ I like to buy my sons boy type things and my girl dollies and pretty dresses but I never stop them from getting things not typically for their gender.”

Emma Davidson wrote Three reasons kids should hate pink, explaining – “The problem is when girls think they SHOULD only do these things, and when girls think that being a princess is an aspiration.”

Isn’t the problem more the mind sight of blue and pink that needs to be buried once and for all?

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