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

The last 2 toddler boys I took care of LOVED their doll buggies. Every time I said we were going for a walk, they ran for the buggies. Sometimes the dolls went in upside down or sometimes teddies went instead but they loved taking their babies for a walk 😂

DS6 has a baby doll, he got a buggy for his 2nd Birthday and often plays babies with his little sister - DD3. Only 1 person ever been weird about it and that was DFIL - he's very very stereotypical with male/female attitudes, there's no changing him and tbh we don't try. Everyone to their own thoughts. DS just laughs at him.

Your son is a cutie and will be a lovely dad one day! X

Another YANBU - my DS also played with dolls/ prams etc. Also liked dressing up in princess dresses. We have an older DD and had a whole range of toys. Tried very hard not to categorise anything as girl/boy. That role play phase passed just as it did with DD but was lovely while it lasted. He's now 18, no longer likes playing with dolls not surprisingly and is a lovely young man.

Oh no, encouraging nurturing and caring tendencies in your son. The horror! The Outrage! Someone call social services!

Nah, DH’s family belong in a museum.

Keep letting DS learn, play and explore what he is interested in.

All 4 of mine had dolls, my youngest carried around a baby annibelle for years, although he called it baby Jesus as he had been Joseph in the school nativity one year

Oh, and I had to buy it newborn baby clothes one year as it needed Christmas pj's apparently

"Don't force it on him". Manipulative and displaying their own prejudice.

Ah yes, I forgot that men having to do any parenting at all is forcing it on them, like many it sounds like your in laws are misogynists who think raising children is solely a womens responsibility.

My MIL is a total pain in the arse but I will always appreciate her ignoring the utter horror of her very traditional friend when on holiday in Spain years ago when she bought my 3 yr old DS a red flamenco dress as she knew he would love it !

How are you forcing anything on him by buying him his own version of a toy you know he likes from toddler groups?!

My youngest is nearly 2 and is exactly the same. I got him a baby doll and a little buggy for Christmas and he absolutely loves it! It's incredibly cute. He pretends to give his baby food, shows it how to build Duplo, and cuddles it in bed.

DS1 is 4 and has never shown the same interest in dolls, but he does have a few special cuddly toys that he does imaginative tole play games with and cuddles at night (all dogs as he is obsessed with dogs). His favourite colour is also pink. 🤷‍♀️

It's so silly that people still make these kinds of judgements.

My nephew has my old dollhouse. He likes putting the dolls to bed. Like his dad puts him to bed.
Anyone eye rolling over a little boy playing with dolls is ridiculous. It's just playing.

I've just bought my daughters a toy crane because she loves the one at the library, am I forcing a "boy toy" on them? 🤨

It’s absolutely fine! My DS are 7 and 6 now and whilst they don’t have their own dolls they will happily pick up their sister’s Barbies and brush their hair and dress them etc. Children just act out the world they see with their toys so it’s completely normal for a boy to want to play with a doll and do the things they see you do with them.

Today DS2 was playing with my brother and said about his beard I asked him if he was going to have a beard when he grew up and he told us ‘no I’m going to be a girl when I grow up!’ 😂
I asked what his name would be and he said ‘mummy our surname’

Who knows what is to come for him! He is also determined he will have a baby in his tummy.

All 3 of my ds's have had a baby doll and pram at sometime. Ds1 particularly loved his as ds2 is 2 years younger so he loved copying and taking care of his baby.

They've all also copied me and used to regularly put their make up on each morning (with clean powder brushes etc) when I did mine.

Two of them are hulking teenagers now and no signs that they 'caught the gay' due to their toddler activities.

This. They are weird! Do they think it odd when your DH cares for your ds??

Nah she should be juggling it all! 😂

My DS used to love dolls, prams etc. It's all part of their development. let him play with what he wants.

Oh my goodness! A boy playing with a doll! Shock horror! He might.... you know.... turn out to be a good father when he grows up.

Ignore their close minded nonsense.

It's lovely if he likes it. My younger son had a mini pram and dolls and teddies to push around in it. Absolutely loved it.

He's now 9 and loves football (and teddies still!)

I do think it's really mental that anyone would even comment. Boys get this so much more than girls. My DD only really likes tractors, dinosaurs, monster trucks etc but nobody would ever say she it was weird.

Children aren't born with preferences for certain toys due to their sex, they are moulded that way by an inordinate amount of societal pressure and aggressive advertising. You should be really happy that your boy has find something he loves so purely. He sounds lovely.

How old is he OP? Just wondering when mine might 'properly' start getting into stuff like that, it's so sweet 🩷

They are sexist and stereotyping idiots.

What are they scared off, that he’ll grow up to be a good father who enjoys looking after his children?

My son had a pink double buggy that he would push up almost a mile to pick his big sister up from school with when he was around 3. He absolutely loved it, it was the cutest thing to see him marching along with it.

This is so true, just go in Smyths toys and see how the aisles are organised into what they clearly see as boys and girls toys.

I mean, I don't think it's an appropriate toy, but you do you.