Help or Hurt Poll? (Christmas Toys)

**CavySpirit** · #1 10-20-06, 01:34 pm

15 Hottest Toys for the Holidays

http://www.nbc10.com/money/10112263/detail.html?rss=phi&psp=news

1.Biggest Littlest Pet Shop
#1 Toy of the Year
Hasbro, $40
This pet shop comes with a toy guinea pig and cat. Your child can take them to the snack station, on a merry-go-round, or spin them in the windup tower.

What do you think? Help or hurt the overall cause of animal welfare? Please vote and explain your answer!

**daftscotslass** · #2 10-20-06, 02:04 pm

I voted hurt. Having seen how influenced kids are by the most seemingly mundane of toys - dogs thrown down slides in parks, cats made to dance and dress up in clothes. The first thing I thought is - guinea pigs on merry go rounds? It's also a ploy that will ensure many a child drags their parents into a pet shop for yet another impulse buy.

I'm sure it'll seem harmless to many but not something I would buy for my child (though I don't have any yet!).

**PiggieMom** · #3 10-20-06, 02:12 pm

I voted "Don't know" because I think it depends on the parent or the adult figure that is around the child. If they play with the child with the toy and say things like "Be gentle with the kitty or piggie" and "What kind of things do you feed kitties and piggies?" and take this toy as a way to teach them about the proper way to treat animals... it could be a fun and educational toy.

But I don't think most parents will do this. The kids will do what they want with the toy animals. This could teach them to treat animals like toys. Of course parents still have to deal with this with stuffed animals.

Of course there is the factor that I think is most important, the fact that the toy is a pet shop. When I was young I wanted to own a pet shop. I did not think about adoption. I think a more productive and appropriate toy would be the loveable Pound Puppies! Pound Puppies

**CavySpirit** · #4 10-20-06, 02:17 pm

I voted Hurt, also, because while I think there MIGHT be a few parents who understand issues and can somehow communicate them above and beyond the 'toy' and 'store' messages, I think most are just not tuned in at all to the issues. And this kind of toy seems like it's for very young kids, hence starting that socialization and view of animals as toys and things to be bought and later discarded very early in life.

**zambonigirl** · #5 10-20-06, 02:23 pm

Okay, well, I looked it up at Amazon.com, and I think that it probably depends on the child. Growing up, we had pets (mostly of the fish and turtle variety), and I had pound puppies and kitties (toys that were popular in the '80's), etc. all with clothes and ribbons and fun stuff. I also had a lot of toy horses of the My Little Pony variety, which I enjoyed playing with and grooming to great extent. However, I never thought of them as real, nor did I think that the things I did to them could be done to an actual horse (we owned two), nor did owning a toy turtle that I could tie bows around make me think that I could assault our little Vern in the same way. I was a child with a vivid imagination, but with a firm grasp of reality as well. I knew I could take liberties with my toys that I could not take with humans or animals, but like I said, I had pets. Knowing the difference between the two might have helped.

I think that this particular toy is probably okay. The animals are not plush and life-sized, but plastic creations that are colored pink and purple. I don't think it will help animal welfare, but I don't think it'll hurt, either.

My niece has a fisher price barnyard toy set that's sort of like this, and it came with a merry-go-round for the horses and cows and people, but she has never asked where her cousin's cow merry-go-round is when she visits his farm, so...I'm actually kind of tempted to get this for her. She loves watching my "piggies" and has a book with pictures of GPs in it that she "reads" to me, so this could be a fun way of giving her a virtual pet that her parents would not let her own under any circumstances. (Not only is she too young, but my SIL always says that they're trying to keep the rodents *out* of the house.)

Sorry this is tl;dr.

**pamziaw** · #6 10-20-06, 02:36 pm

Hurt, it also encourages kids to think of pets as toys rather than little beings with minds and feelings of their own. Also promotes petstores. My little Rescue might be slightly better.

**HowietheGreat** · #7 10-20-06, 02:41 pm

I have mixed feelings on it. I too had pound puppies and I had my little ponies. It never occured to me that a real horse would dress in clothes but it depends on how much a child understands. Can they seperate fantasy and pretend play from reality? It is truly up to the parent to decide. I think it is important that children be exposed to animal toys to help them develop a love for animals-but education alongside with this is important. However I work in a setting where if a parent gets themselves out of bed to take care of their child it is a miracle-my faith in the average parent is low.

**SugarSpice** · #8 10-20-06, 02:53 pm

I agree that littlest pet shop is not the best toy around. I also do not like the idea of the item named pet shop. My daughter would think of a pet shop as a positive thing and she also would think piggies could go on a merry go round. She has asked me many times for one, but I hold my ground and say no. Santa will not be delivering any littlest pet shop toys this year. I cannot find a link but there are these new stuffed doggy's with huge puppy eyes(cannot ember the name) but most of the proceeds if not all go to the SPCA. IL have to keep an eye out for the commercial again to get the name.

**VoodooJoint** · #9 10-20-06, 03:18 pm

Hurts, without even having to think about it.

-supports animals being sold in pet shops
-supports animals as playthings
-supports abusive treatment of animals "on a merry-go-round, or spin them in the windup tower"
-supports impulse buying of animals

**Ragous** · #10 10-20-06, 03:54 pm

I will start by saying that my daughter has every Littlest pet shop house and toy that has been made. I think the count is up too 82 little pets including the guinea pig!!! This has not altered her treatment of live animals in any way shape or form!!!!

There is a REALLY big difference between toy animal and live animal!!! We currently have 2 cats, 1 dog and two cavy's and she is so kind and gentle to all of them.

As for promoting sale of pets from a pet store?!?! I don't think so, what because you buy a small animal toy at a store you think that a child would put that in the same thought as buying animals from a pet store! NO they only thought there is "Ooooh look new Toy".....not "ok mom lets go buy a pet from a store"

I am against the whole idea of this poll period!!!

**daftscotslass** · #11 10-20-06, 03:59 pm

With all due respect to your opinions and experience, I really feel that there are few people out there that will see it your way and look on it as responsibly as I'm sure you are with your daughter.

**CavySpirit** · #12 10-20-06, 04:10 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ragous

As for promoting sale of pets from a pet store?!?! I don't think so, what because you buy a small animal toy at a store you think that a child would put that in the same thought as buying animals from a pet store! NO they only thought there is "Ooooh look new Toy".....not "ok mom lets go buy a pet from a store"

I am against the whole idea of this poll period!!!

I find your response funny. Sorry, but I laughed out loud.

Actually, the whole idea of learning that one BUYS pets in a pet store is totally legit. I don't see how you can reasonably deny that. After all, I DO remember, way, way, way back when, that I actually learned about 'barnyard' animals with my little toy barnyard and plastic animal accessories, long before I remember being on a farm. It IS a learning toy, grounded in some form of reality. Take the related toys, the veterinary version: Amazon.com: Littlest Pet Shop Get Better Center: Toys & Games Pet Shop Get Better Center. Are you going to tell me that kids don't learn anything from that either? The age group that these toys target are going to a very influential group.

**Susan9608** · #13 10-20-06, 04:35 pm

Quote:

There is a REALLY big difference between toy animal and live animal!!!

Only in that one is living and the other is not ....

Children learn social behaviors - things like empathy, compassion, responsibility, etc. - through play, particularly unstructured, imaginative, non-education focused play.

I hate to see the focus of toys turned from imagination and fun to education and political correctness, but I do agree that encourgaing children to *pretend* they are purchasing animals from pet stores and to *pretend* they are engaging in inappropriate acts with animals only lays the foundation for them to do act just as irresponsibly when they are adults.

**zambonigirl** · #14 10-20-06, 04:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ragous

I am against the whole idea of this poll period!!!

I'm not. I might not agree that it promotes the ill-treatment of animals, but I think that it is creating a beneficial discussion about how people view animals, and what we can do to change our thinking as well as the thinking of the rest of the world. I'm also more than willing to take into account the feelings of the people who are against the toy, and view those opinions fairly without snap judgements, mostly because I care for the welfare of animals. It's one of the reasons that I'm a member of this site.

**SugarSpice** · #15 10-20-06, 04:48 pm

OK I found the web site for the puppy's I mentioned. I think these are too cute and a great way to teach your child about rescue and adoption. Also you can explain that when one was purchased , it helps support the SPCA and there for helps real puppy's and other animals find forever homes. Madison will be receiving a pawphan from Santa.
www.PAWPHANS.com

**wolfie** · #16 10-20-06, 05:20 pm

My daughter also has most of the Littlest Pet Shop Toys. All her life she has focused on "animals" , domestic and wild . In addition to what seems like a million stuffed animals she plays with the Barbie and Polly Pocket animals- not the dolls. Her choices are based on her interest in and love of animals.
The Littlest Pet shop does not include any fantasy role play items that relate to selling animals. What is appealing to the kids are the accessories. The hermit crab comes with his cag

View Poll Results: Help or Hurt poll
Helps	21	12.21%
Hurts	69	40.12%
Don't know or Neutral	78	45.35%
Don't care	4	2.33%
Voters: 172. You may not vote on this poll

Thank you Susan9608 for this useful post, says:
ortal (11-12-07)

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