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Original poster

dolls for boys.. does your son have one?

94 replies

treacletart · 04/04/2005 15:48

I recently bought a 2nd hand baby doll for my ds (21m) because he's developed a real fascination with babies and enjoyed playing with my friend's sons' doll.

We took it to Tescos with us this morning and it raised a few comments and even a laugh from an older boy. I'll probably dissuade him from letting his doll become a comfort toy because I'd hate for him to be teased about it, but is it really that strange for a boy to have a doll? Am I being overly PC? Isn't it perfectly normal and even important to foster his caring side? What do you think?

OP posts:
popsycal · 04/04/2005 15:50

ds is 2 and a half and has 2 dolls and a buggy
one of the dolls has one arm now as it has been played with so much

let him have a doll....

ladymuck · 04/04/2005 15:52

Ds1 has a doll. When ds2 got to the appropriate stage (18m or so), ds1 wouldn't give up "his" doll, so I bought another for ds2. It's a phase, but not an healthy one. He'll move onto the next thing soon, and doubtless you will have to surgically remove Thomas from him.

elliedragon · 04/04/2005 15:53

My ds2 has a doll he calls baby (he is 25m). He too has a fascination with babies. I think it is something that they grow out of. The doll belonged to ds1 and he isnt interested in it anymore.

serenity · 04/04/2005 16:07

DS2 loves Barbies and wants a Barbie cake for his birthday in June. He's now asking to just have a party at home with family as he doesn't want to be called a 'girl' by his school friends

DS1 went through the same thing and grew out of it, or should I say peer pressure made him very anti girl stuff.

Me and Dh have never had a problem with it, and have always had a few sharp words for anyone who tries to make them feel bad.

elliott · 04/04/2005 16:09

mine also has a doll but is not very interested, and never has been tbh. He has occasionally played role play feeding and putting it to bed, or trundling it round in the toy buggy (which has been more popular!). Ditto he has a doll's house which again has only been played with sporadically. He is more of a construction-and-wheels type of child despite my best efforts!

Actually I think boys 'grow out' of dolls because they pick up on the expectations of adults and their peers - if they are the kind of boy who is keen on role play they'll probaby do tea parties with their teddies as an outlet instead!
I think its an important type of toy to have because it encourages social play - its amazing how few animate objects tend to figure in 'boys toys'.

saadia · 04/04/2005 16:13

My ds asked for a doll for his birthday, but we talked him into getting an aeroplane instead - total gender stereotyping. I'm still not sure why we were so opposed to the idea.

LGJ · 04/04/2005 16:25

He has a bear with dungarees that he calls baby and when he comes into our bed for a cuddle in the mornings, baby comes too.

He also insisted on a pink drinking cup, choice of blue or pink, he chose pink.

And it is PINK.

HappyMumof2 · 04/04/2005 16:27

Message withdrawn

Original poster
treacletart · 04/04/2005 17:37

If im honest, the time he spends with his doll offers me welcome relief form the trains and cars that occupy 80% of his waking day.

OP posts:
binker · 04/04/2005 18:33

ds,now 7,had dolls and a little pushchair - they were his babies and he played schools with them etc...still got them in fact...

iota · 04/04/2005 18:34

my ds's inherited a load of action men from their cousins - they seem to spend most of the time taking their clothes off - not sure what theat means

Amanda3266 · 04/04/2005 18:36

In the interests of being an enlightened mother I bought DS a cheap soft bodied doll from Tescos. He has scarecly looked at the thing since we got it home. Very occassionally he'll pick it up and cuddle it up and say "Aaah" but on the whole it's stuffed in the back of the toy cupboard.

Lonelymum · 04/04/2005 18:42

Ds1 went through a doll stage at the same age as your ds Treacletart, so I bought him a doll (in a blue sleepsuit) when he was 2 but I can't say he played with it much. They are all different aren't they? Ds2 likes soft toys and dd likes Barbie but not baby dolls. I am so confident ds3 won't want a doll that I have sold all of them.

I shouldn't think your son will be teased for having a doll - most mums would be glad to see theri son had a caring side. I think the laugh from the older boy in Tescos was a bit unfortunate.

Lonelymum · 04/04/2005 18:44

And, reading the other threads, reminded me that ds2's first ever favourite colour was pink. He denies it now of course!

dropinthe · 04/04/2005 18:49

I too have been wondering about buying ds1 a baby-but you know who he will get the most stick from??? DH!!! Disgusting,eh!?

whimsy · 04/04/2005 19:04

Ds was 2 in december and he has two dolls and a pushchair and loves them to bits. He also loves cars, footbal and trains i think it's good for them to have dolls. Dh doesn't have a problem with it.

fisil · 04/04/2005 19:10

ds (who is just 2) has a doll who he cares for (reads to it, baths it, puts it to bed). It is a 2nd rank toy, generally. His Gran bought him some rag dolls for his 2nd b'day which he calls Jack & Jill and has an active fantasy life with. He talks to them, celebrates their birthday daily, and cooks for them in his kitchen and sandpit.

His big thing at the moment is imaginative play, and it's all very domesticated. It annoys me actually that the majority of domestic imaginative play toys are on "girl's" shelves in toy shops, and all packed up in pink. But he can't read, and if anyone made nasty comments it would give us an opportunity to learn some life skills about the odd opinions of other people!

I love it. I'm hoping that me & ds2 (when he pops out) will have the same kind of care as Jack & Jill and Dolly!

throckenholt · 04/04/2005 19:23

my 3 all love our doll. The only one we have is one from my childhood. She is currently sleeping in bed with ds3 (26 months).

mumtochloe · 05/04/2005 14:28

Just out of interest Ladymuck - why is it not a healthy interest?

Nephew DN has one and he is 3.5 but he also loves trains and all other "boy toys". Kids love copying their parents and DN's dad was a stay at home dad for a while. Holding and looking after their "babies" is fine in my opinion.

desperatehousewife · 05/04/2005 14:31

I don't think it's at all odd for a boy to play with a doll. My DS is 2.7 and has a baby doll (boy doll by the way!) which he loves feeding and pushing around in it's little pink buggy! I think it's great for encouring their nurturing and softer side. Most of the time though he is hurling himself around, getting scrapes on his knee, banging his head, climbing everything in sight and obsessing over his plane videos.

I wouldn't worry, or try to influence what your child shows an interest in.

huggybear · 05/04/2005 14:32

My ds1 will be three next month and is having a push chair and doll set for his present. He loves dollies and barbies and stuff, probably because all his main friends etc are girls. Dh says he's not having one "incase it turns him into a puff",

he is having one - ive already bought it

laneydaye · 05/04/2005 14:38

i dont agree im afraid... would never even consider buying a pram and doll set for ds... would be horrified if anyone else did aswell..
he does actually play with his friends dolls cos she dosent really have any boys toys but when he comes in the living room with a pink fluffy handbag of hers i nicely tell him to play with somthing else.....

huggybear · 05/04/2005 14:39

Why?

cod · 05/04/2005 14:40

Message withdrawn

laneydaye · 05/04/2005 14:43

i believe that girls should play with dolls and boys should play with boys toys...... i cant begin to imagine what would happen at school age when a friend see's him pushing a pram with a dolly in it up the village..... kids can be so cruel...
dont have a problem with anyone else doing it and will teach myds thats ok too but its wouldnt work for me...

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