Buying my DS a baby annabel doll!

[Charlotteap]

I take my DS every week to playgroup and the first thing he runs for is the dolls he loves to carry them around. So I bought him his own this week and he loves it, gives it drinks from his water bottle , takes her hat on and off and even gives it cuddles. It’s so sweet, he also does the same to his Simba teddy. He’s really started getting a like for things lately , he really loves dinosaurs too. Anyway just been for a Sunday lunch and 4 people out of 14 had something to say ? Along the lines of ‘ just abit weird’ ‘ at least wait till he’s older don’t force it on him’

like what the hell ? I bought him it as he clearly really liked them. Are my husbands family just old school ? What do you guys think

I think its adorable. Little boys learn though play just as little girls do. I think playing with dolls if they are girls or boys encourages a nurturing nature and helps to build such a caring character.

My 18 month old son got the exact same doll for Christmas with a pushchair. He loves taking baby for walks around the kitchen, he cuddles her and he kisses her. He feeds her her snacks and his water bottle and puts her to my boobs for milk 🤣 I bought it for him as he loves the dolls at any playgroup we go to.

Your husband’s family are weird. No one has commented on my son’s doll negatively.

What exactly is it they think you're forcing on him? I'd be tempted to ask them. Because I know what the answer is but I'd want them to say it out loud.

It's lovely, I'm glad he's enjoying his new toy so much. My little nephew has a pink sparkly unicorn called Elvis who is his absolute favourite thing on this planet, kids can play with whatever they like!

Tell your family and friends to shut up

I have a lovely photo of Ds then aged 3 and my niece also 3 both feeding a bottle to their dolls. It is what a parent does to a child and they see this and emulate it, same with a doll's pram, Dh pushed the pram loads with Ds2 in it so Ds1 saw this. Why it is still considered strange for a boy to have a baby doll?

It's a toy. Daft to make a big deal out of it either way-would your family think it was "the cutest thing ever" if he was a girl? It's very tempting to be a bit performance parent about stuff like this-I remember being when my dd played with her trains. Just let him play.

DS used to carry around a potato in his doll’s pram, not sure what that says about him 😂

He did also use it for a doll and his teddy.

I remember a parent of a similar aged son to DS was it okay to buy a toy kitchen for her son. DS spent hours playing with his toy kitchen, the potato featured quite heavily there too!

He also had hundreds of toy cars and is currently following his dream learning about motorsport at university.

My DS periodically enjoys playing with dolls and has several.

@Charlotteap - I’d say something like “DS is role playing being a good, caring parent. Why is that wrong?”

My DS used to push all his teddies and other soft toys around in his sister's toy pram. Nothing wrong with boys playing with dolls or anything else stereotypically deemed to be only for girls

Do they think their son/brother shouldn't help look after his child?
I don't know what they mean about forcing ir on him. Would they say the same if you has bought a girl a doll.
Ignore them. Toys are just toys and boys and girls should have a variety

Oh OP that photo made my heart ache for when my son was little!

Absolutely gorgeous.

My 2 year old has a baby annabel doll and loves it. He also loves his cars and fire truck.

My son fell in love with a soft body type doll with blue sticky up hair and not the nicest of faces . I bought it for him nearly 30yrs ago .
He looked after that doll for a few yrs Sad how its not moved on from then .
He is a wonderful father now

My DS is 4 and loves a doll. His nursery have a ‘baby station’ with dolls, a crib and a push chair and I love when nursery send photos of him playing in that section. He’s so affectionate and loving. We’re due baby no 2 very soon so it’s reassuring too. Ignore any comments and let his imagination run wild, he’s doing no harm and it’s so sweet to see.

He'll make a great Dad!!
when my sons were 5/6ish, they used to fight over playing with their cousin's Barbie dolls 😁 they didn't grow up wanting to be girls and they are both great fathers 🥰

DS1 had one too - unfortunately I had to take if off him when he took to biting it in the garden - usually with a hand sticking out of earth. Too creepy (especially as I’d just had DD and he wasn’t that keen on her!)

They need to grow the fuck up.

Both my DSs played with pushchairs and a doll. It's absolutely fine. My youngest DS is 4 and his favourite colour is pink. My DH's family find it a bit weird that we buy him pink things but I don't care. He's 4. He loves pink but he also loves Transformers and cars and other stereotypical boy things. Kids should just be able to like what they like

@Charlotteap

thank you for sharing that photo! ❤️

just say to them 'Yeah, it'll be absolutely dreadful if DS grows up to be....a.... <Dad>'

or just eye roll so hard your eyeballs are in danger of falling out of your head!!

Wow, your son likes a doll, perhaps he might be gay is what I'm assuming they're thinking?
So what if he is.
Gay if absolutely fine.
Perhaps he just likes playing with a doll.

My daughter liked playing with Bob the Builders and she been happily settled with a man for 7 years, and is bisexual.

Toys are toys, clothes are clothes.

Oh definitely get a little buggy! Mine loves pushing it on the school run and everywhere we go.
I also got a photo last year of him and his friend at nursery carrying the dolls while dressed up as builders drilling! He’s got the work/life balance down!

Ignore them

Are dads terrible for playing /speaking to their babies

Or putting them into a buggy for a walk

No ? Then why can't boys play with baby dolls

Do girls play with cars /garages ?

Yes

Then again why can't boys play with 'other sex toys'

My heart broke a little when my older boy, one who ran to get his toy pram when I said "shall we walk or do you want the pram?", looked with disgust at my youngest ds who was playing with the dolls house at nursery. It takes such little time for gender stereotypes to win once they start school but when they are little, they play with what they want and nobody should care. Playing with dolls doesn't make them 'girls', it means that they have a good role model for looking after babies.

Dd loved her dolls, but they were not allowed in her (blue) buggy, that was just for boy monkey Teddy who sometimes liked wearing a dress.
Honestly, and this was before the trans thing, she was just playing.