Boy Baby Dolls

by Amber Maccione

I was privileged to give birth to a son in 2011. I was also privileged to grow up in a household that didn’t label things as boy toys or girl toys. Some may call me a feminist (which I am so far from), but I don’t believe in toys being sexist. I believe in toys being playful things to use to entertain children, give them an enriching childhood, and teach them about life. So yes, for Christmas 2012 I bought my son a baby doll.

As a parent, I believe it is my job to train my son in the way he should go so that he can be successful in all areas of life. Since he is so young, it is hard to say right now what path he will take, but I feel that I should start to help him develop his interests. Some of the things that my son’s father and I have noticed about my son are: his love for music (he sings and dances to his own tune; when he hears music, he will stop and dance to that music; and he loves playing on instruments), his love for balls (he loves to throw them, bounce them, and dunk them), his love for books (he would rather read to you than you to him), his fascination with animals, and his love for babies. Therefore, for Christmas 2012, we made sure to buy toys that would enrich those interests with the later being the one I want to focus on.

When I told people I was going to buy my son a baby doll, I got laughed at; even my son’s father was a little concerned. And I guess they had validating points – ever walk down the isle with all the baby doll stuff? It is mostly pink and girly. But why?

I got my son a Cabbage Patch Doll. A boy named Josef. My son wanted a baby doll. Every time we went down the isle with all the baby dolls, my son would get excited and shout, “Babies! Babies!” My son’s father agreed that I could purchase Josef since he had more of a masculine look rather than all pink with bows.

My son loves his Josef. My son gives him hugs and kisses. Takes off his shoes and socks and tries to put them back on (he still needs some help). And I always call Josef my son’s son. I tell my son, “What a great daddy you are!”

So why did I think it important to get my son a baby doll? A few reasons:

1) He wanted one. Plan and simple. I wanted to encourage his interests.

2) It is a great way to teach him things about caring for someone else, teaching him body parts (which he has already mastered and is not even one and a half), teaching him how to get dressed (which my son has almost already mastered and again is not even one and a half).

3) One day my son may be a father, so why not start teaching him at a young age what it means to be one?

So are dolls just for girls? I say no. I think as parents we need to stop thinking about what everyone else is doing and what the media tells us. We need to start thinking about our children and how we are going to train them so they go in the right direction of success (which is different for each child). So what if something is pink or blue? That should not dictate to us that it is only for boys or only for girls.

So if you have a son, why not get him a baby doll especially if he asks for one?

Copyright © 2013 http://ambercita04.hubpages.com/ All Rights Reserved