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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

DS2 (5) wants a Barbie styling head for his birthday?!

28 replies

annh · 03/03/2006 10:12

DS2 who is a total sweetie and into normal "boy" things like lego, power rangers, etc is also very into all things pretty and glittery. He loves commenting on and playing with my ear-rings, hair and clothes and quite often wears my old hats and necklaces around the house. The only thing he really wants for his birthday is a Barbie styling head which he played with once at a friend's house after Christmas. DH is opposed, I am wavering. I don't want to have a heavy conversation about "boy" toys and "girl" toys but neither do I want him to be teased at school if he tells anyone what he got. PILs will probably have apoplexy as well but that is an observation, not a consideration in what to do! What does the Mumsnet intelligensia think?

OP posts:

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Original poster

annh · 03/03/2006 10:13

Sorry, should have said he is currently 4, will be 5 in two weeks and it is his fifth birthday which he wants the gift for.

OP posts:

cod · 03/03/2006 10:13

arf

can you go to eh mates houese and see if he stil lkes it

cod · 03/03/2006 10:14

i always trya dn steer mine intot he toy i think they will want
BUt ds1 insited on a yugi oh t hing once nad he has loved it
agree re teasing

Kathy1972 · 03/03/2006 10:56

Of course get him the Barbie styling head! (And some small 'boy' present too so if he starts to get teased he can focus on that.)

geekgrrl · 03/03/2006 11:06

Bless! Move over Charles Worthington! :)

yes, I think Kathy is right. Best of both worlds.

katyp · 03/03/2006 11:25

Could you find him a secondhand one so he gets it but it's not his main present in case he changes his mind? Unfortunately I gave away my dds one a few months ago (I think they are vile and she never played with it - present from mil!)

Original poster

annh · 03/03/2006 19:55

Good idea about the secondhand one. I expect there must be thousands of them lying around. Cod, can't take him back to that friend's house again in the near future (too far) but think this is something he probably really would enjoy playing with! Off to ebay now!

OP posts:

Socci · 03/03/2006 19:58

I would let him have one too - wouldn't be worried about it.

starlover · 03/03/2006 20:03

i wiould give him the styling head.

Hulababy · 03/03/2006 20:16

I'd get him a cheap styling head, and then another main present too.

robinpud · 03/03/2006 20:19

got to a hairdresser's warehouse place and get a styling head. Cheaper than a Barbie, with real hair and guaranteed to be lice free in case you were worried. That way you can give him the hair without the girly thing. He may be the next Trevor Sorbie or Charles Worthington

Arabica · 03/03/2006 20:22

Yes, I would definitely get it for him. Your DS2 sounds lovely. Rigid ideas about toys really annoy me--it's 2006, not 1946!!

waterfalls · 03/03/2006 20:25

My ds wanted a toy nuggy when he was 3, so I got him one.

waterfalls · 03/03/2006 20:26

Buggy.............even

7up · 03/03/2006 20:55

when my ds was 4 he asked for a barbie doll and he got one and it played with action man!ds2 at 16months loves pushing a pram around

Mytwopenceworth · 03/03/2006 20:58

Personally, I hate the whole 'boys toys, girls toys' thing!

I'd say if he wants the styling head, let him have it, it's no big deal.

spursmum · 03/03/2006 21:02

My ds takes great pride in helping with the weekly shop....with his own little trolley.
Let him enjoy a toy before all the peer pressure kicks in.

FrannyandZooey · 03/03/2006 21:05

Yes get it for him. If we never did anything for fear of what ohter people would say, the world would be a sorry place. I know we all want to protect our children from harm and hurt but I think we go too far in squashing their individuality in the name of 'avoiding teasing'.

snowleopard · 03/03/2006 21:14

You could talk to him about some great male hairdressers and fashion designers and how famous and cool they are - tell your DH that too. You could even show him some stuff in magazines - he might like Matthew Williamson, Galliano and Gaultier if he likes glitzy stuff. I'm serious - if he ends up thinking about hair or fashion as a career, it is a wonderful creative arena and could be great for him.

He might also enjoy making some simple clothes - you can get kids' books on this.

Troutpout · 04/03/2006 23:16

Get him the head ! get him the head!

paolosgirl · 04/03/2006 23:19

Let him have it, you old meanie

My friend's DS(6) has just asked for a sewing machine for his birthday, so he can mend his school trousers when they rip. Bless him...!

4blue1pink · 04/03/2006 23:27

let him have it ...bless!

DominiConnor · 05/03/2006 19:26

Buy it. Our 5 yo has a favourite colour of pink and loves cooking. Don't see it really matters, as a bloke I buy my kids presents they like, not what I think they should have. That's what a "present is".
If DH has a problem with it, also buy some lesbian porn, or Vinnie Jones' video on how to viciously foul other soccer players :)

I would care a little about the schoolground, but with our 4 turning 5 yo his taste in colour is only disparaged by his 6 yo cousin. The cooking goes down well, since he takes buns and his rather good cheese puffs into school in "show and tell" day.

MrsBigD · 05/03/2006 19:47

if he really wants it get it for him :)

ds (18m) loves dolls, barbies (their feet are great for chewing onwhilst teetng , push chairs, vacuum cleaners etc. but also trains, cars etc.

dd 4 wants one too, but her birthday isn't till Dezember so it's me who's suffering... she's doing my hair

Genered toys are rubbish I think. Just wish the commercial industry would cotton on and not produce so many different dolls (ya know... bratz, barbie etc.) and pink things DD's fav sentence is I want this for my birthday!

Sorry for rambling :)

PandaG · 05/03/2006 20:27

Agree with what is said above, if he really wants it buy it! I really try not to follow gender roles for my 2, but DD is completely programmed to love pink!

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