Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Dadsnet

Speak to new fathers on our Dads forum.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

should my son play with dolls?

51 replies

mikeonabike · 02/05/2018 08:31

hi guys, the wife recently suggested buying our son a doll, and thinks until he can make his own decisions about what to play with, we shouldn't consider gender when buying them, any thoughts on this?

cheers, mike.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Alex3101 · 02/05/2018 10:58

Hi Mike,

Our son has 2 dolls that he plays with. He looks after them, changes nappies, feeds them and takes them for walks. We even made him his own wrap so he could carry it like he gets carried.
I think it's incredibly important in bringing up a well rounded responsible child.
He needs to learn to care and understand that men and women share this role equally.
Now he has a baby brother he is very caring of him, helps change him and feed him just like his dolls.
He has a play kitchen and helps in making meals with us in the evening.

Ratbagratty · 02/05/2018 11:02

Yes he may grow up to be a ..... Dad. Why are you opposed to it? My daughter has cars to play with should I stop that?

ShatnersBassoon · 02/05/2018 11:03

What are your thoughts, Mike? Surely your opinion combined with your wife's are enough to make a decision on something so trivial.

XJerseyGirlX · 02/05/2018 11:07

Lovely idea. My nephew has a doll called Nigel

Fatted · 02/05/2018 11:10

We never specifically bought our boys dolls. They're at the age now where they can tell us what they want and we'd never be opposed to a doll if they asked for one.

That being said, both my boys used other toys to play looking after, getting dressed, feeding etc. All the sorts of things you would play with a doll. They both have baby dinosaurs that have been fed, changed, have their hair and nails done etc. They play cooking and cleaning etc with various different toys.

The point I'm trying to make is its not so much the actual toys that encourage breaking down of gender specific roles. It's the type of play and also what they see at home. My sons see two parents who work and equally share responsibility at home.

LilithTheKitty · 02/05/2018 11:10

My DS has three dolls called Annabel, Carter and... Motorbike . I don't see an issue?

kissthealderman · 02/05/2018 11:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Doyoumind · 02/05/2018 11:15

Mine asked for one and got one, and then got another one. He enjoyed looking after them in the same way I looked after him. His favourite toy when he was younger was his kitchen.

iklboo · 02/05/2018 11:18

Action man is a doll by any other name.

saucepot8 · 02/05/2018 11:19

Action man is a doll. My eldest had a pushchair. Dh wasn't sure he should have a 'girls ' toy until I pointed out that he pushed the dcs pushchair. Neither of my boys had dolls as I think they inherited my fear of dolls. It's their staring dead eyes freak me out. They pushed teddies around.

iklboo · 02/05/2018 11:19

Sorry posted too soon. My friend's dad was in uproar when he was little and he saw him playing with a doll. He threw it out and bought him Action Man. Which is just Barbie with a crew cut to me.

Fromage · 02/05/2018 11:19

NO NO NO NO NO

It will make him gay. Or a girl. Both of which are unconscionable. You are a dreadful parent if you allow this.

Unless it's a Spider Man doll. Or a Batman doll. Or Thor. Those are fine and he'll turn out normal, not gay or a woman.

Is this the sort of reply you were after?

bloomsburyer · 02/05/2018 11:22

If you would like him to be a loving days then let him play with dolls.

bloomsburyer · 02/05/2018 11:24

*dad (f'ing autocorrect)

gamerchick · 02/05/2018 11:27

I don’t understand your point OP. He will be a dad one day, you don’t want that?

Tapasandwine · 02/05/2018 11:27

Of course, why ever not? Give him that choice by buying him a doll or 2?

In this day and age, why would that be something to carefully consider? Both of my daughters played with toy trucks and diggers as well as dolls etc.

joystir59 · 02/05/2018 11:28

Your child will not grow up gay if he plays with dolls. And repeat.

joystir59 · 02/05/2018 11:29

And if he does show signs he might be gay you can always encourage him to change sex.

dementedpixie · 02/05/2018 11:38

Ds had a boy doll and buggy from about 18 months. He took the doll on holiday with us one year

sugarbum · 02/05/2018 11:41

your wife is correct

kissthealderman · 02/05/2018 11:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bookmum08 · 02/05/2018 11:51

My daughter has a Baby Born doll who she took to the library once. A gaggle of babies and toddlers were there (my daughter is older - past toddler hood) and all of them were like little meerkats when they spotted our doll. They all wanted to play. One little boy - probably not even 18 months was so sweet. He put 'baby' in the toy buggy and kept kissing the babies head and patting the baby. He was so gentle and protective of the baby (a doll remember). His mum loved it. She thought it was so sweet. He apparently didn't really know any (real) babies younger than him but yet he seemed to know straight away how to 'look after the baby' !! So lovely.

aaarrrggghhhh · 02/05/2018 11:56

God no. He might catch the gay. Or grow up thinking that it is appropriate for him to engage in activities traditionally associated with being female. Then you'd have to disown him.

Fromage · 02/05/2018 12:55

Where are you, cheers mike?

Are you going to allow your son to play with a pathetic girls' toy or will you give him proper, blue toys to play with, so he can grow up to be a Real Man?

What will become of him unless you give him diggers and dinosaurs? Surely he will grow into a weak pathetic fool.

All of mumsnet needs to know in case some wazzock has gone and bought him a toy ironing board or a pretend hoover, and ruined his chances of being a normal, straight man.

I will lose sleep over this.

Please, cheers mike, assure us no one has contaminated your son with some cheap pink plastic shite?

NapQueen · 02/05/2018 12:56

What is gender specific about a doll? Men and women are parents, why wouldnt a toy which allows for pretend play as a parent be suitable for male or female?

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread