Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

How to Talk to Kids about Breaking Gender Stereotypes with Jodi Norgaard

Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to share my parenting insights with you. If you found value in this episode, kindly leave an iTunes review. Stay updated on parenting tips by following me.

Mini Synopsis:

Dr. Robyn Silverman talks to Jodi Norgaard, creator of Go Go Sports Girls, about challenging gender stereotypes and promoting positive change in the toy industry and beyond. They discuss the impact of representation, gender bias, and the need for change in nurturing children’s potential.

INTRODUCTION:

We’ve all experienced it. We’ve gone into a toy store, a book store, a clothing store—and there’s definitely something different with regard to what is provided for girls vs what is provided as options for boys. Yes, things have changed a bit since we were kids but we still have a long way to go. In my book, How to Talk to Kids about Anything, I call this “gender boxing.” It’s the way that society and industries can pigeonhole children based on gender. Pink for girls, blue for boys- you know this isn’t a genetic thing, of course! It’s made up! My favorite was a word magnet set you can put up on the refrigerator– I used to talk about in one of my presentations where girls got fluff and bubbles and sparkles and boys got running and swinging, climbing and swinging.  Girls didn’t even get much in the way of verbs—the only one I saw was dancing. We see it in books too. And toys. Boys are active, girls are passive. Boys are to discover- girls are to be looked at, primped, and made-up. Boys like blue, and girls like pink. Limit after limit telling girls that it is not possible to rise above a glass ceiling that is tinted pink just to make sure they can see it clearly—and know it’s marked just for them.

What’s the harm really? Actually, it cuts deep. Because how we socialize girls through clothes and toys and books spills over into how they behave and see themselves in school, at home, out in the community, and in life. We’re going to talk about it today with my friend and colleague, Jodi Bondi Norgaard.

Bio:

Jodi Bondi Norgaard is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker dedicated to breaking gender stereotypes and promoting equality. She created the award-winning Go! Go! Sports Girls line to inspire confidence and healthy play among girls. Her advocacy extends to the policy level, serving on the White House Gender Policy Council to influence initiatives on children’s toys, publishing, and content. Featured in outlets like The Today Show and Forbes, she is a recognized leader in gender equality. A sought-after speaker, she contributes to Ms. Magazine and delivered a TEDx talk on entrepreneurship and gender equality.

Important Messages:

  • Early Influences (Jodi Norgaard)
    Basically, what I’m doing right now is sounding the siren that gender inequality doesn’t start in our teens or our 20s. It starts the moment a child can hold a book, a toy, or watch a screen. Those gender stereotypes do set in by the age of five. Sadly, research shows that by that age of five, when kids are leaving preschool, little girls start believing that their gender can’t do as much as the male gender.
  • The Power of Toys (Jodi Norgaard)
    It’s not just a toy. It’s not just a book. It’s not just a piece of clothing. It’s everything that comes together that causes girls to lose self-confidence by the age of nine. When girls are constantly exposed to limiting messages in the media, toys, and books, it chips away at their confidence and their sense of what they can become.
  • The “Lovely Lola” Moment (Jodi Norgaard)
    I picked up one of the dolls, and the name on the hang tag was Lovely Lola. At that moment, I knew there wasn’t one parent out there that wanted their daughter to look at or be called Lovely Lola. That was my breaking point. That was the moment I knew something had to change.
  • The Science Kit Dilemma (Jodi Norgaard)
    Seriously, when did science become gender-specific? I walked down the boy toy aisle, and I saw volcano kits with explosions and action-packed designs. Then, in the girl toy aisle, the science kits were about making makeup, scrunchies, and perfume. It was all about appearance. Even though you’re a scientist, you’re making something to make yourself look better.
  • The Illusion of Choice (Jodi Norgaard)
    Ultimately, girls like fashion. Can you create a fashion doll? That was the response I received when I tried to create something different. But that’s the problem—there were already 75 lines of fashion dolls. It’s a saturated market, but people kept insisting that’s what girls wanted.
  • The Doll Test (Jodi Norgaard & Dr. Robyn Silverman)
    What they did is they put all these little dolls in front of girls of different races. They asked, “Which one is the mean doll? The happy doll? The pretty doll?” Overwhelmingly, the white dolls were picked for the positive words, and the black dolls for the negative words. This wasn’t about individual bias—it was a systemic issue ingrained in children from a young age.
  • The Importance of Diversity (Jodi Norgaard)
    I was told, Black dolls don’t sell. But if we don’t put black dolls on the shelves, how can we expect them to sell? Representation matters, and children should see themselves reflected in the toys they play with.
  • The “Peanut Butter Analogy” (Jodi Norgaard)
    If a grocery store only sells peanut butter, customers will only buy peanut butter. But if you introduce almond butter, cashew butter, and other varieties, suddenly the market expands. The same goes for toys—if we only give kids one kind of doll, that’s all they’ll buy. But if we diversify, we change the whole industry.
  • Retailer Resistance (Jodi Norgaard)
    So many retailers got cold feet. Target backed out. Other big stores backed out. They weren’t willing to take the risk on something new.
  • Walmart’s Support (Jodi Norgaard)
    Walmart told me, We’re not making money on the Go Go Sports Girls books and dolls… but girls need to see this on the shelves. They understood the bigger picture—that representation isn’t just about profit; it’s about impact.
  • The “Packaged Childhood” (Jodi Norgaard)
    The toy industry sells what they call a packaged childhood. They decide what children should like, what they should play with, and how they should engage with the world. But kids are more diverse than that.
  • The Power of Words (Jodi Norgaard)
    Growing up, I was told I was too sensitive, too kind, too compassionate. Even my high school guidance counselor told me I was too kind and sensitive to go to college and into business. These messages shape how kids see themselves.
  • The Importance of Role Models (Jodi Norgaard)
    It’s not enough to tell kids they can be anything. They have to see it. If they don’t see female scientists, athletes, and leaders, they internalize the idea that those careers aren’t for them.
  • The Broken System (Jodi Norgaard)
    Women and girls aren’t broken. The system is broken. It’s not about fixing girls—it’s about fixing how the world sees them.
  • The Power of Connection (Dr. Robyn Silverman)
    The strongest relationships are built when kids know they are loved no matter what. If we lead with connection—asking questions, validating emotions—kids feel safe enough to learn and grow. Disconnection creates resistance.

Notable Quotables:

  • “Gender inequality doesn’t start in our teens or our 20s. It starts the moment a child can hold a book, a toy, or watch a screen.” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “It’s not just a toy. It’s not just a book. It’s not just a piece of clothing. It’s everything that comes together that causes girls to lose self-confidence by the age of nine.” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “Even though you’re a scientist, you’re making something to make yourself look better.” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “Ultimately, girls like fashion. Can you create a fashion doll?” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “Black dolls don’t sell. Well, maybe if you actually had black dolls, they would sell.” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “Money talks. If you’re not buying their product, they’re taking it off the shelf.” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “The toy industry sells what they call a packaged childhood. But kids deserve better.” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “But what if we encouraged boys to be empathetic? And what if we encouraged girls to embrace their assertiveness? Would we finally see equal pay?” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “Women and girls aren’t broken. The system is broken.” – Jodi Norgaard
  • “If we don’t push back, nothing changes. The messages our kids receive today shape the world they’ll live in tomorrow.” – Dr. Robyn Silverman
  • “Retailers say diverse dolls don’t sell. But if they were actually on shelves, they would.” – Jodi Norgaard

A child’s potential shouldn’t be limited by a pink or blue aisle. – Jodi Norgaard

Resources:

Jodi Norgaard↓

 

Dr. Robyn Silverman ↓

Related Posts: