Taken along to amuse my 11 month old grandson while my son and daughter-in-law debated the merits of Ektorp vs Ekenas, I was having a grand old grandmother time! Not wanting to hurt anyones feelings but my little prince really is the handsomest, smartest little fellow – and he does seem to find me very amusing.
I happily traipsed him through the Ikea toy department which always seems to have colourful and imaginative toys…although the prices do make me wonder about child labour or at least sweatshops. They have a fairy tale line in toys…you know the stereotypes – princess, prince, red riding hood, wolf…wolf!! I couldn’t believe my eyes… there was the wolf swallowing grandmother whole:
Look more closely, this is gruesome stuff!
Horrified on behalf of my granny sisterhood, I hid it from my grandson’s innocent eyes and raced over to my daughter-in-law who, while not taking it as personally as me, declared wryly “hmmm wonder what toy designer thought that was a good idea!”
I wanted to stay around and watch what types might actually buy such a violent, granny- hating thing but the debate had been decided in favour of Ektorp and we needed to move along. I didn’t notice what this toy was called but after decades of experience with Ikea names it’s probably something like ‘Kilagran’.
And I always thought Sweden was such a peace loving place…
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I would have been surprised too, and would have gaped, then swiftly walked on by, wondering ….Maybe it’s just pointing out how gruesome those ‘fairy tales’ were in the first place! (Probably no more so than the ghost stories I heard as a child, though…)
I’ve since regretted not buying one just for a laugh and since they’ll probably never have anything that interesting again😊
I had to laugh a little when I read this post. It does look gruesome doesn’t it! But of course the idea is taken from the Brother Grimm’s tale Little Red Riding Hood. 🙂
Your grandson is so adorable. 🙂 I really do not like that horrible ‘toy’. I can’t imagine who would dream up such a thing. 😦
One would think it may have been someone who didn’t have a grandmother as fun as us!
I’ve made two visits to IKEA in the past few weeks but didn’t venture into the toy section. Kilagran 😆 that probably isn’t a toy sending a good message. Your grandson is indeed a cutie…. future heart breaker!
I wonder if this toy is a big seller for them? Would be interesting to know.
This is hilarious. Hope it was tongue in cheek, because we all grew up with those fairy tales (though we didn’t have the dolls to aid the imagination.) The grandson almost looks like the bear cub that tumbled down the hill in front of us. What a delight.
On the subject of grandson – a delight for sure. Yes I did mean this to be at least a little humorous but clearly some thought it was a tasteless toy.
ToDo LIst …. return the Kilagran to IKEA.
Aside – your grandson is ADORABLE!! … but then you already knew that 🙂
I was tempted to buy one just for the bizarre factor!
It is after 11pm here and I am still trying to convince my ten-year-old grandson to go to bed. My husband has been asleep sitting up at the dining room table for the last two hours. My twelve year old grand-daughter has been on her cell phone about as long, but assures me it is some kind of free deal from the provider. Right now, I’d settle for being eaten by a wolf! Your grandson is adorable by the way . . .
Sounds like the beginning of one of your wonderful stories! Hope you eventually got the grandkids sorted out.
He is a cutie! Being a grandmother is the best. I think it is a treat from most points of view. I cannot imagine who thought that toy was a good idea!!
I bet that not many grandmothers will buy it for the grandkids!
Very clever
Thanks!
Kilagranny……oh you are too funny. I vote for the culprit as a ” bored partner”. The partner who doesn’t get a charge out of IKEA’s paper tape measures; hundreds of rows of similar if not identical furniture; painted floor footprints and carts the size of fuel efficient vehicles. Or IKEA’s marketing department to get people blogging about their store – free advertising! Is there a prize?
Oh you mean an IKEA ‘co-worker’? It’s meant to imply equality between the workers but there’s certainly no equality between that big hungry wolf and old granny in this toy!
I also agree with Gallivanta. As for that precious child – beautiful.
I guess the truth is that all children are precious and our own grandchildren doubly so😍. Nice to hear from you.
And how starnge too that all of us, wherever we live in the world, can be united in knowing EXACTLY what IKEA is, and what it sells. So different from Little Red Riding Hood’s day. And what a lovely grandson. Not as lovely as mine, obviously, but still pretty good 😉
IKEA is a modern marketing phenomenon all right. I’m sure your grandson is almost, equally lovely😉
Oh your grandson is just gorgeous! I would have whisked him away from that toy as well, how bizarre.
Can you tell that I’m an adoring grandmother? Think I may ask IKEA directly what the wolf is about.
Was that toy actually made like that? Perhaps the granny doll had been stuffed in the wolf’s mouth by a disturbed child.
On to more mundane things, good choice with the Ektorp. We have that!
It’s so funny you say that – if it hadn’t been for the wall full of them and the thread connecting granny to the wolf’s mouth (heaven forbid she should escape!) I too would have wondered. Yes, I too have Ektorps☺️
Think I’ll be giving Sweden a miss on my travels. And possibly Ikea as well.
What a sweet little prince indeed! As for nursery rhymes in general… there were many that were pretty violent. However… who would make such a toy as this?? YIKES!!
It’s true that fairy tales, including Red Riding Hood are often violent – but I agree …what’s with choosing to turn this into a toy??
Well first let me say that your Grandbaby is indeed one adorable child! As to the Grandmother being swallowed alive it seems that perhaps some designer has some relationship issues. 🙂
That’s what I thought on both counts : adorable grandchild plus toy designer with issues!
It is a very different culture these days than the one I grew up in. Better in many respects, worse in others. I often wonder if it is possible to take the best of the old ways and merge with the best of the new. I like Gallivanta’s response! 🙂
A merger of old and new would be lovely! The idea of the granny with the wolf in a chokehold is a perfect antidote…and I’m sure she’d release him once he’s learnt his lesson.
Goodness! How gruesome. Perhaps the idea is that the child can remove Granny and rescue her from the wolf. This then encourages the child to believe he/she can cope with challenges! 😉 😉 Next we need a toy where Granny has the wolf in a stranglehold to show the child that Granny is an independent woman. Your little cutie looks as though he is still happy to play with a real Granny.
What a generous interpretation but worth considering…love the idea of the alternative toy with granny as the victor!
Kilagran – LOL! And I agree, that’s a horrible toy!!
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! I should have taken a photo of the full wall of them 😳
Yah, you gotta be careful what “culture” you expose them too. I put on The Lion King for Georgia yesterday, never having seen it prior and was appalled at how violent it was. Just wanted to spice up her life with different media from Dora the Explorer, but we’re back to Dora.
Yes Dora is a good role model. Just don’t show her Nemo – his mother and brothers and sisters all get eaten by a barracuda, he is disabled and the sole survivor along with his traumatized father – all in the first 5 minutes!! You can fast forward and the rest is delightful.