dolls for boys.. does your son have one?

[treacletart]

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?

very much agree with you, soapbox - power rangers etc are essentially dolls for boys. I was doll mad when I was a little girl. They were an essential part of my role playing games. Why should boys be any different here? The games they play may vary, but it's all role play in the end.

I agree with Soapbox too. My ds2 loves to play with power rangers and they are boys dolls!
I wouldn't worry about giving a boy a doll, it's only play to them. I think boys caring for babies (real or plastic! )is really nice, my 2 love little babies.

What's wrong with a boy playing with a pink pram and a doll?

My dp pushes a pram and a baby around frequently - if ds was a dd he'd be pushing a pink pram around too

DS (25m) has not a doll but plays, feeds and put in bed his teddies. He can have a fight at nursery to play with the pushchair. I have not get him a doll (I hated dolls as a child) but if he insists... he will have it.

gosh laneydaye that makes me a bit . Why wouldn't you let yr ds play with a pink fluffy bag?
DS2 is 2 (today actually!) and his fave dressing up outfit is a ballerina skirt in frilly pink teamed with a wizard's hat. Fine by me!

Interesting, was just having this conversation with my neighbor who keeps her two grandsons. They have a doll with a little pushchair and ds was thoroughly enjoying playing with it. I told her I had been thinking about getting him one and was glad to see that he enjoyed playing with it. We both agreed that it helps to promote nurturing in children. DS is 19 mos and also fascinated with babies like yours is treacletart. I think it is a sweet, lovely thing.

Laneydaye

Had to skip straight to the end of this thread once I'd read your message!!
There I was, enjoying all the enlightened attitudes posted, when I came across yours. What are you afraid of? Judging by the opinions posted here, there are little boys playing with dolls everywhere. Are you worried about your son being teased or your own embarassment?

As kids' play is often based on what they see adults doing, I'm hoping my boy will copy his dad, who not only loves babies but is a fantastic cook. Pity he's rubbish at cleaning...

My DS is four in June and takes Baby Annabel to bed every night. He calls her Baby Madonna for some reason and really looks after her. It was actually a present for his little sister but she isn't interested yet (17 months). He also loves trains and cars etc, but has always liked dolls and buggies, infact his present from his sister when she was born was a little buggy to push his teddies around in. It makes me feel all warm inside when I hear him trying to comfort 'Madonna' when she is crying!

root im not afraid of anything, ds will play with dolls when his sister is old enough to own one, i have no doubt about that, but i personally wouldnt buy him one of his own....
theres nothing wrong with a boy playing with dolls but therews also nothing wrong with boys playing with cars, toy guns, sheild and swords,

I think nobody mentioned about excluding the other toys, though I personally preffer DS to have his own doll rather than his own toy gun. Thats's the only thing I would be very reticent to buy...

It is a shame that whilst buggies have become all bright and rugged and made to be pushed around by men as well as women, that toy prams have not followed suit. I hate girls and boys sections in toy shops and refuse to buy toys from places that do this. I bought ds a doll, he named it and then ignored it, but I think if I had another baby the idea of looking after his own "baby" would make more sense. After all he follows daddy around with his plastic lawnmower, if he saw daddy pushing a new baby around in a buggy I think he would want to do that too.

Oooh, Laneydaye, personally I think there is a major problem with toy swords and guns - certainly if the lad in question doesn't have the option of a doll as well...

Personally I can't stand those dead-eyed dolls we seem to have accrued in huge numbers, but the Inferiorettes appear to adore them as much as their train.

I'd be far more loath to buy ds a gun than a doll. Although, perhaps strangely, a sword and shield wouldn't bother me too much.

Maybe a nice pink fluffy shield would be a good compromise...

Exactly, a Barbie shield

Yea, let's promote violence over nurturing and buy guns not dolls .

My dd (3) has a lot of cars/trucks & dolls and loves to play with all of them, she loves to put Barbie in a huge construction truck and pretend she's a builder (I'm sure Barbie is just mortified !!). However, I would NEVER consider buying her toy weapons of any description and she knows it! When she sees kids playing with toy weapons she says No fighting! Most of her boy friends have their own dolls/buggys in addition to their boy toys and I've never heard any derogatory comments. In our local playground the only toys both boys and girls seem to fight over are the buggys .

The kids that tease others over their toy selection are only repeating what they've been taught - let's teach all our children that it's OK to be nurturing

There's a nice anecdotal article about this on the US babycenter site:

www.babycenter.com/essay/toddler/toddlerbehavior/11877.html

(can never get links to work on MN, sorry)

Message withdrawn

my dp is the nicest softest most kind hearted man i have ever met.....he also played with toy guns,swords,sheilds..... he is now enjoying the things he enjoyed all over again...

as for promoting violence... our ds is a well mannered,polite,confident, HAPPY, popular and confident boy and we certainly dont put up with any violence or agression....

I found that up to about the age of 3 dolls were fine, but after that point they liked all these ridiculous characters like knights, spiderman, turtles, wizards

boys play differently as they get older, there is no way your baby would have noticed the older kid it is just up to you to ignore it

My ds nurtures his toy soldiers. You should see how carefully he arranges them, makes sure their equipment (walkie talkies, guns, flares, etc) is placed in the right direction. He is concerned they have adequate protection from their comrades, proper cover from barricades and their getaway vehicles close to hand.

Just a further observation: he is most keen for other children to join his games - he'll eagerly approach children and ask if they want to join in. Usually he'll share his soldiers, take turns and happily explain the game to whoever wants to play with him. I'n not saying he is a paragon of virtue, but usually he doesn't use his soldiers as a means to fight or be spiteful to other children.

For any parents who claim not to be promoting violence/aggression - then why give kids toy weapons to play with (I feel the same way about toy soldiers btw and would not let dd play with those either). There are so many ways kids can use their imagination and so many other games/toys they can play with why encourage soldiers/guns/swords. If you don't condone fighting, don't send your kids mixed messages by letting them play with fighting tools!

tigermoyh myds is just the same....he plays with his toy soldiers for hours some days.....

and i think they cost us 98p for a big packet..... marvellous.

think as parents we make our own decisions...
we are all so different..
different ideas and views..
we bring our kids up ou way...
a way thats right for us...
thats what makes life so interesting..
wouldnt do for us all to be the same!!

too true laneydaye, life would be boring otherwise

If not given guns/swords then quite a few little boys are happy to improvise with sticks (or, in one case I know of, a piece of toast nibbled into a gun shape...) so I'm not sure it's entirely down to parents.