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This is a spinoff from the American Girl doll thread. Since some posters seem to indicate that it's ok for boys to play with girl dolls...
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Originally Posted by lawmom
BTW, why would it be horrible if a boy was in there shopping? It might not be usual, but what's the harm?
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Originally Posted by Workin_Hard
I think that's a separate thread and I'd rather not highjack this one so early on. Do you want to start it or shall I?
Back to our regular programming....
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Originally Posted by lawmom
Sorry. You thought it was important enough to mention in your post, so I asked the question.
There already is a thread about boys wearing girl clothes, and there are posts in there about how sexist we are against boys.
Quite the contrary. I think we hold boys to a higher standard in terms of behavior. If anything, the 'sexism' is in their favor by holding them to acting in a masculine way. Don't confuse my point however. The closest I came to playing with dolls when young was having GI Joe "kill" the Japs and Krauts (just more GI Joes in different uniforms from Hasbro - and that's the terminology of the time, no derision intended), I didn't learn my childcare skills there. Since then, I've willingly, joyfully, and rather recently changed many a diaper and did plenty of late night feedings with a smile on my face, and still look forward to helping my 5 y.o. in the bath. No loss of my manhood in doing any of that. But, I hold that boys should not at a young age, or any age for that matter, be playing with girls' dolls. Period.
A few days ago, I was doing some early Christmas shopping in the Barbie aisle at Target. A young (late 20-ish) couple was there with a boy about 4. The boy was holding a Rapunzel doll and saying "I want!". I started to laugh a bit and the dad looked at me and rolled his eyes. I smiled and said in a low voice "Gotta put your foot down and stop it now...". He replied, equally as quietly "I know...".
I have no problems with boys playing with baby dolls. My girls practice mothering with their baby dolls, and there's no reason for a boy not to practice fathering too. If a boy sees his father helping with baby brother's diapers, feedings, and baths, I can see why he would want to emulate those things in pretend play with a doll.
Girls and boys both play with dolls in preschool. They like to imitate what they see their parents do. If dad diapers the baby and gives it a bottle, little boys will do that too. If dads do dishes, cook and do laundry, boys learn that this is not exclusively a girl's activity. In preschool, teachers will hear exactly what goes on in your home from how children play in the housekeeping area.
Really, there should be no play that boys cannot do, just as there should be no play girls cannot do. Each can use their imagination and imitation skills to practice being grown up.
I don't understand the problem with boys playing with dolls any more than I would understand someone having a problem with girls playing with trucks. Sincerely asking here - what's the problem?
Before my second child was born, we bought my 3 yo son a "baby sister" doll to practice being a big brother. He likes the doll, likes his real baby sister more, and is 100% rough and tumble boy. *shrugs*
I think there are a lot of families where the boy siblings play dolls with the girl siblings. My brothers played dolls with me. They have wives and families today. None seems to have suffered any ill affects. I played with their green plastic Army men. (Who for some reason were involved in fighting the Indians at Fort Apache. Must have been some kind of time travel.)
I don't get the problem of boys playing with dolls at all. So boys can play with G.I. Joe's, Ken dolls, Action figures, teddy bears, and plush toys, but not dolls because the difference is that they are.....what exactly is the difference? Toys stimulate play and imagination in children, it's adults that want to place adult interpretations on that play.
I have no issues with girls playing with trucks, army men, motorcycles, etc. I have no problem with boys playing with dolls. It would be fine for a man to play with his actual baby daughter, so why isn't it ok for a boy to copy that by playing with a baby dolls?
As a child, I had a male cousin who was my age and we were very close. When I visited his house, we spent hours playing with his He-Man figurines and Castle of Grayskull. When he visited me, we spent hours playing Barbie. It didn't harm either one of us and both of us grew up to be healthy and normal adults. I don't think it's a big deal for a boy to play with dolls until people make it a big deal.
It is not a big deal for boys to play with dolls. I don't know why society has "girl toys" and "boy toys."
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