Toddler toys, should I get my boy a doll?

[sal96]

So I have a 15 month old, he’s very wild, never stops moving, obsessed with footballs/basketballs and cars and bikes and trucks. He’s always play fighting with his dad and uncles and throwing himself about like a little rocket.

HOWEVER, he is soo gentle with the dog and his baby cousin and says ‘aww’ and strokes them 🥹, I’m thinking to get him a boy doll to nurture his little caring side (still adore his crazy side too) but I think it would be nice for him to have more opportunities to do both. He’s in a family of lots of boys so he doesn’t get much opportunity to do the less typical boy stuff. After all, little boys grow up to be dads and looking after baby dolls is good life skills for them too 😂

of course, don't know why you'd even question it.

Sounds lovely, prepare to have him drag it around by a single foot or the hair though

My son has 2 dolls and a pushchair and a cot.
Nothing wrong with boys having dolls

Of course you should. And get a little dolls stroller as well as they absolutely love pushing them.

Absolutely! Second the stroller. We got ds one at a similar age. A bit older now and I also got him a bluey playhouse which is basically a dolls house but with bluey characters.

Definitely.

x.com/chrishallbeck/status/612639450447900672?s=46

Ds has one. No interest in it. He has a toy dog though though that goes everywhere with him. Happy for him to play with the doll but he so far has no interest in it.

Yes! Playing with dolls etc is proven it helps children learn empathy and social skills etc.

I have 4 boys and we had a home corner and kitchen, a buggy and dolls they loved them, occasionally caught one swinging doll about by legs but they had lots of fun with all sorts of toys

This.

Yeah do it… my kids have it as part of the general kitchen / cafe / role play stuff

corolle do nice / practical ones that aren’t too creepy

Of course! I have a very similar sounding 2 year old ds and we got him a pram and baby doll for his birthday and he absolutely loves it!

I wouldn't not give a doll because he's a boy.
It is worth seeing if he likes it!
My son has a doll but it gets ignored. He prefers cars, dinosaurs and sharks. They soon let you know their preference!

Why wouldn't you? I really don't understand the boys can't play with dolls mentality.

Absolutely get him a doll. My DS is only 10mo but enjoys playing with cars and things as much as with his sister's doll so we'll be getting him a doll of his own for his 1st birthday.

Of course, my 4yo nephew has a doll and cot - little boys see dads looking after babies these days so it's normal for them

This.

DS has his own doll and plays with his older sister’s ones as well. We had a friend over this week and both boys spent an hour swapping babies and taking turns to cuddle them and push the doll buggy.

I run a toddler group and all the kids love the doll corner. Do it!

My sons had dolls. They played with them a lot of the time. It has not scarred them or negatively affected their masculinity! One is now in the army......

Yeah course. My little boy has doll twins, all the accessories like high chair and baby bath etc. He loves playing with them.

When DS first got his doll I remember being struck by how protective a just turned one year old could look. We got him a really small one and he beamed at it then snuggled it under his chin scooched right in to his chest and said “ahhhh”. He always does the same thing when he sees it and it’s the sweetest thing.

Of course, all children benefit from playing with dolls. My two love looking after their 'babies'.

Yes, buy one.Both my boys went through a phase of playing with dolls as young children. It was short lived but I wouldn't have minded if it wasn't. My daughters have never been interested in baby dolls at all on the other hand. A man at a playgroup I used to go to said he hoped his son wouldn't turn out gay as he was playing with a doll and pram and I said well what's gay about grown men pushing their babies in prams? It's a stupid idea.

Yup! We've always had the full range of toys since DS was small. Dolls house, cars, soft toys, kitchen, dollys, the lot. The dolls house didn't get a look in till DD could crawl.

Would say 90% of the time my kids follow the gender stereotypes when it comes to their play. But, it's nice to have options!! Especially now DS is in school, we have boys and girls over for playdates and the house has things for everyone. Sometimes we end up with a dolly/hot wheels combo of imagination play. It's nice.

Let toys be toys! Definitely buy it. My son adored his dolls and went on to be a very nurturing big brother - perhaps the two were related. He’s always been really great with and enthusiastic about babies too come to think of it. He’s not a quiet kid who likes to colour in the corner either.