We are currently in the process of collecting enough cardboard boxes to build a pirate ship for her to play in. I thought about making a hat and a parrot and a cutlass but I ended up turning to Amazon - good ol' internet.
I uhmmed and ahhed for about four hours over whether on not to buy her a cutlass. It appears to be harder these days to buy things like swords and guns (toy ones) in shops. We searched high and low in Wilko's, the pound shop, Sainsbury's etc. Nada. And then it got me thinking (I'm fully aware I'm not Carrie Bradshaw), is it because of all the violence that goes on these days that we can't just pop to the shop to buy a cutlass?
I think sometimes we all just need to calm the fuck down.
When I was a kid (here we go), that shit just didn't phase anyone. My brother had (toy) guns and swords galore. Power Rangers were in and we used to fight each other all the time (I'm also aware there is a five year age gap between my brother and I but sometimes when you're ten, boyband lusting and skipping ropes get dull... pretending to stab your annoying baby brother is way more fun and there was totally no malice involved... LIE). We didn't grow up to be psycho murderers and the like.
The other day, Lil was watching old school Looney Tunes and there was violence in one scene. 'Oh blimey,' Lil's Dad said, 'Do you think we should switch it over?'. ER....WHY? Because she might hunt down some dynamite to shove up our arses when we're asleep and set light to it? Nah. Let the kid watch it. The world has gone mad.
Anyway, back to pirates. I ordered the cutlass and I think there was a pistol in the pirate kit too. I'm just gonna let my kid enjoy being a pirate and (pretend to) shoot the dog. She can sail the seven seas as much as she likes and fight other pirates (her Dad) with her cutlass, it doesn't mean she's violent.
Let kids be kids and enjoy their childhood. Cutlasses, pistols and all...
Before I had children I bought a friends 2 yr old a wooden cutlass and pirate set (it was a beautiful french one by villac I think) - he had a brand new baby sister and I think my friend thought it was vastly inappropriate! I still chuckle to myself everytime I think about it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid (oh yes, oh yes) we took my younger cousins to Disneyland Paris. One of them, who was maybe 6, bought one of those cork guns. You know.. the kind that you shove the cork in the end and when you pull the trigger it fires it out with a POP! Yeah. When we boarded the plane it was confiscated from him, and locked away in the special cupboard at the front where it couldn't be got to. They said it posed a potential threat to the fellow passengers. A 6 year old with a little wooden toy cork gun that was painted red MAY JUST bring down the plane. He got it back when got off the plane at the other end, in a special plastic bag that wasn't to be opened until leaving the airport. For serious.
ReplyDeleteAlso.. our poundshop totally has guns and swords. That's what poundshops are like in the ghetto.
God I miss Power Rangers. My dad made us their weapons (I was always the pink power ranger) and my brother was always the red one, or the green. We'd spend HOURS playing Power Rangers fights! And to this day we haven't yet murdered each other (YET. Oh yes). xx
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