to think it's OK for boys to play with dolls?

[justmyview]

I recently heard a mother sniggering a bit about her son playing with a doll, as if she felt it wasn't quite right for the boy to enjoy playing gently with a doll + being affectionate towards it. She appeared relieved when he he played in a more aggressive manner

Seemed sad to me - what do you think?

I think it's essential not just ok for little boys to play with dolls. They are much more likely to be fathers when they grow up than warriors.

My 2 year old regularly comes shopping with me with his buggy in tow with his two babies in it.

Its cute.

I think as more men get actively involved in parenting their children, more boys will play with dolls.

DS had a buggy and a baby doll to put in it when he was two. I also think it's sad when parents are obsessed with gender stereotypes.

yy to not only nice but necessary!

Why on earth wouldn't it be ok.

I actively make sure that my boys have dolls as toys alongside any other toys as that's a good way of learning about caring for a child.

My8 year old ds still sleeps with his doll in his bed.

It's ok.

I can imagine feeling a tiny bit uncomfortable with it, if I had a boy. And I know that is my issue,but I would, a bit.

Does Action Man still exist? My son loved his when he was a child. Granted Action Man did macho stuff like abseiling down windows and driving around in a jeep but he also spent a lot of time hanging out with my daughter's Barbie playing shops and schools

Much to my husbands disgust and my amusment at my husbands backwards attitude. DS2 (aged 2) favourite toy at daycare is a soft afro caribbean baby in a pink outfit. He adores it, infact it had to move rooms with him when he moved up to the next aged group last week. I have pointed out to dh that this kind of play has made him way more empathic to others needs than ds1 ever was (never got to play with dolls).

DS1 however does like to wear a princess dress when dressing up at nursery esp if its pink and sparkly

How ridiculous!

Where was she from?

1950?

My six year old has one of his 'babies' sitting at the dining table every evening for the past month and insists that he/she/it has a little bowl of food (which DS finishes 'if' baby can't manage it). Then he tucks baby up in a blanket on an armchair as its bed form the night. Today I had the instruction to 'not forget to feed baby some lunch mum'.

No problem at all. He's learning how to care for something more vulnerable than him.

Oh and I also have my youngests Christmas gifts stashed in the loft he is going to get a wooden kitchen with pans and pretend food (a really lovely mumsnetter found me a great discount code but it was only valid a few days that's why its in the loft) my mum has said she's going to get him a baby with a cot and pram.

Quite handy really because in November I'm having another baby so he can have one to play with

This old chestnut! As someone said up the thread, a little boy is rather more likely to become a father than to join the SAS.

Also, how depressing that this woman was relieved that her son started playing aggressively with his doll. Because clearly toddlers prove heir masculinity through pulling Tiny Tears' hair...

Son didn't have dolls but had a toy kitchen. And a work bench. He used to hammer stuff & then announce it was Builder's Lunchtime & rustle himself up some plastic food before going "back to work"

Our twins - one boy one girl - play with each others toys. I say each others - toys that relatives have bought like a doll for our daughter and cars for our son.

Our son is happy with dolls and we are not going to stop him.

I think the warrior or father analogy is a bit poor though.

My DS had a baby and a buggy when he was a toddler. I was secretly very proud of DH when he walked down the main road while his son pushed the buggy and talked to baby. DH didn't bat an eyelid, he was just pleased that DS was happy to walk for longer with a buggy. All DS's friends used to want to play with it when I hosted coffee mornings- as DS was the only boy who had one.