to give my "white" niece a "black" dolly for her birthday?

[paow]

Hi there, I went to my local toy shop and bought a really nice sling for my 4 year old niece to carry around a little dolly. They had a lovely fair trade "ethnic" dolly to go with it which is of a dark brown colour.
Now, my neice's family lives in a small town where there are no black people.
I live in London and I thought it was pretty normal to buy such thing, but now dh thinks my niece's parents will not like it and think it's weird as they will think that I am giving her a black little baby dolly to carry around as if to encourage her to have a black boyfriend? yikes, what is wrong with my dh!!! and his family IS very close minded.
Would you be offended? or if you are black and you are given a "white" dolly? would love to hear your opinion.

I have stuck to my guns and wrapped it ready for next week.

Well - i am clearly encouraging my DD to have lesbian relationships wiht ballerina's with straw hair, (that is the only doll she has) other than that, she will be forming inappropriate relationships with horses of various colours .

I had a black doll as a child living in a white area. She was dressed in a brownie uniform an the best thing since sliced bread when I was six. Even better that Santa had chose her for me!
I really don't see the problem and if your dh's family don't like it then clearly its their problem and not yours. Well done for sticking to your guns

I am white but grew up in a very mixed area, most of my black friends had white dolls (1970s so not a lot of black dolls about) I don't see why your in laws would see it strange to have a black doll, and it will help your neice learn about the mix of races in the real world.

My cousin recently took her daughter on holiday to a country where the locals were black, (cousin and her daughter live in the west country and have no local black family's) cousins daughter came out of the hotel on the first day and say lots of non white people and screamed, refused to leave the hotel again and ruined the whole holiday, she is 11 (but she runs the household as my cousin lets her get away with way too much) However maybe if she had been given a black doll she might have grown up with a bit more intelligence and understanding.

Give the doll.

at that story Kimi.

We had black dolls and I can't remember it ever being a topic of discussion. The tiny tears boy doll with a penis however. That kept us entertained for hours. If I remember rightly, he ended up with a piece of green pencil lead stuck up it. Ouch

No problems here with black dolls, kids like babies, and they aren't fussed what colour they come in, although it seems your dh is a bit of a wally tbh. And if thats his thought on dolls, and future boyfriends then unfortunately the IL are probably of the same opinion, but I would still send it.

Will do no harm for them to welcome a new member into the household, and you may be helping your little neice showing her a more normal side of life, i.e. folks come in different shades, and we are all the same!!

I know I told my Uncle that DS1 would like a zip doll for his 2nd birthday (you know the rag dolls with the zip, button, popper} and uncle said "a doll, A doll? You mean and action man") he did get the zip doll for DS1 though bless him (as action man was banned in our house no war toys, lasted till school partys )

My sil gave my dd1 a black Baby Born doll. I didn't even notice for a while that it was black.

I gave a neighbour's dd a black My First Baby Annabel - the little girl and my neighbours were happy with it but some other guests at the party commented that it was a black doll. I think they thought I was trying to make a point about being PC.

I had in fact given the black doll as a present because it was the only doll that size left in the shop.

YANBU. Your niece will love the doll whatever colour it is.

LOL mars

I can't imagine, at all, why anyone would be offended by the colour of a doll.
I do agree, however, that trading in that DH of yours for a black man might be a good idea