NOT your typical grandma

For several months, I've been shopping for the twins and I'm almost finished.

So far, I've been rather conventional: cute dresses (with leopard-print trim), Indian-print skirt-and-vest sets, tricycles, books, boots and some big-girl panties.

Today, I saw something that I thought was really neat: construction tool kits. These have all kinds of plastic tools, a battery-powered "drill" and a hard hat. Well, I bought two of them. Since their daddy is an electrician and they like cars and trucks, I figured that tools would be a nifty gift. After all I have my own tools, for household repairs.

I taught my sons that there's no such thing as "women's work" or "men's work" and I hope that I can influence the twins the same way.

Never having had to deal with girls, before, I'm a little fuzzy on some of the "girly" stuff anyway. I can buy clothes and shoes but some of the toys mystify me. In the past, I've bought stuffed animals and educational toys but, I want to give them toys that they can DO things with.

How cool! I bet they will LOVE the tools, and they can "help" Daddy with things around the house too. Especially at their age they don't know girls toys from boys toys. They will have fun with whatever you give them.

I was lucky growing up that my sister and I weren't ever treated differently for being girls. We learned how to fish and camp and shoot rifles and hunt, just the same as if Dad would have had two boys. Of course, it wasn't a big deal that we loved Barbies too, but if we wanted toy cars we could have them.

With all brothers, I grew up playing with Tonka trucks, Hot Wheels and Erector sets. I had dolls but, they were pretty boring.

You sound like an awesome Grandma! Good choices in my opinion.

Great choices ... how old are they??

I like your thinking!

I was 16 when I started selling paint and hardware. I stayed in that department at work for almost 10 years. I had my share of ignorant people looking for the "man" in the department. I just laughed and found them a "man" who knew a lot less than I did. It was really funny when the "man" didn't have an answer to their question and said "I don't know let me ask Bobbie".

I am a twin too. I love power tools. My sister can fix anything too.

I think that's awesome, Cindy. One more way for them to bond with Daddy, and I'm all for breaking down the gender barriers.

I am a fairly girly-girl, but one of my favorite toys growing up was one of those Hess "gas trucks" you could get at hess stations for free with purchase of $X of gas. I wore that thing out! Oftentimes, I would play with the Hess Truck AND barbies at the same time!
I was breaking gender rules before it was cool. What a little rebel I was.

Awesome!

My mom made sure I could change a tire and the oil in my car before I graduated from high school. I've also learned how to fix pipes and hang drywall from this woman...and I've never seen my dad get relegated to home improvement tasks by my mother. I thin it's important that us girls know how to take care of ourselves. As it is, I live alone and in a completely different neightborhood from my man, so I have to know how to fix things without freaking out and relying on him. So far, so good!

Go Cindy Go!

i used to love educational toys like science kits and my microscope.

i think the tool kits a great idea.

Outstanding
One year, I gave my Granddaughters Tonka trucks for Christmas. They built a lot of roads with them & had a ball.
I love giving our girls options.

I think that's a great idea! It's never too early to teach children that they can do anything. I am not scread to pick up a hammer, because I spent plenty of time with my father doing projects around the house. On the opposite end of the spectrum is my husband, who was never allowed to do a household chore while growing up. It was a huge culture shock when he moved out on his own.

Originally Posted by sharky

Great choices ... how old are they??

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Feliza and Isabel are 2 1/2.

As a kid, I was taught to pump my own gas, check the fluids in my vehicle and change a flat (these days, I call AAA, for the latter).

I taught my sons how to cook, iron, do laundry and sew on buttons.

All of the above are just basic survival skills, whether you're male or female.

I just don't want the twins to be programmed by pre-conceived notions. They are smart, funny and polite, which are what I expect of either sex. As for the rest of it, I just want them to do what makes them happy.

It's great to know that these little girls will learn that they don't need to fit into a fixed idea of what being a girl means. I wish more parents were like that.

My brother has a little boy (not even two years old) and is expecting a second kid in May. I remember we were discussing toys and his girlfriend saying that it would be nice if the next kid was a girl, that way they could get a Mrs. Potato to go with the Mr. Potato.
And a few months earlier, my parents were gonna give my nephew a balloon to play with and wouldn't give him the pink balloon because he's a boy.

The kid is still a baby... do they really think he would be traumatized by playing with a Mrs. Potato or a pink balloon??
Poor kid!

I'm really glad not all parents are like that.

You rock Cindy!

Those two don't know how lucky they are!

I DO buy a lot of pink stuff for Isabel but, its because she LIKES pink. Feliza will wear anything and having them in different colors helps me tell them apart.

They both love shoes and are fascinated by my long fingernails. Once they're able to sit still and keep their fingers out of their mouths, I've promised them manicures.

Mark teaches Kayla all the names of every tool he has. I don't even know the names of them all! You just gave me another idea for Christmas gifts though! I agree, girls and boys should know the "work" of both sexes. I'm sure Mark would be pleased if I got Kayla tools for Christmas!

Go Grandma! You sound like one cool grandma!

Originally Posted by menagerie mama

Mark teaches Kayla all the names of every tool he has. I don't even know the names of them all! You just gave me another idea for Christmas gifts though! I agree, girls and boys should know the "work" of both sexes. I'm sure Mark would be pleased if I got Kayla tools for Christmas!

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Check Target. They had several different types of these tool kits, rated for 3+ years. They're only about $10.00.