Uhm... can we call it an "action figure"? My 3 year old girl got a big dollhouse with all the trimmings and a bunch of princess dress-up stuff for Christmas, and our 6 year old son seems to have an on again off again desire to play with them, mostly with her, but not always. That doesn't bother me too much, I think it's just a "phase".
As far as actually buying him "girl stuff", though... I think I might have an issue with that. If for no other reason than the teasing he would take from his cousins and friends. If he grows up to be gay or whatever, I'm fine with that, it's his choice, but in terms of being a parent now... I guess I'm just "old skool" like that, lol.
I did my buy my sons the occasional doll when they were little enough to show interest in them. One son was three when a cheap, "fake" Barbie-doll on a card in the store caught his eye. The doll had roller skates, a helmet, and skating equipment. Since it wasn't a "provocative-type" Barbie, and since it was cheap I let him have it.
There was also the boy-baby doll here or there, a boy Cabbage Patch doll (with adoption certificate, and one of my sons is adopted; and named, "Gaspar", although my son couldn't remember the name, "Gaspar" and started calling the doll, "Oilbar" LOL). Anyway, yes. I bought my sons dolls. Once they got a little older they were more interested in action figures and other "dolls" meant for boys.
I wouldn't have given either of them something like a ballerina or prom-dress kind of Barbie doll, and I wouldn't have given them a doll that's dressed in frilly little girls' clothes - or anything like that. If either of them had wanted that kind of doll (even as preschoolers) - I'm sorry - I would have found a different kind of doll for them. They didn't, though. Their interest (even as preschoolers) in any one doll was pretty fleeting. Doll-house people (like the Little Tykes ones) kind of filled the need to "play people" and "play family" for them. That, they really did enjoy.
My daughter had the American Girl dolls, and her older brother did find the historical reproductions of the accessories interesting. He didn't particularly want one of the dolls, but he did say, "It's too bad they don't have something like that for boys." He's always been kind of "history person", but those miniature reproductions of stuff of one era or another are also kind of just cute. So, for me, it all depends on the age of the boy, the doll, the accessories, the kind of play that's associated with kind of doll, etc.
Having said that, I think it's important not to raise boys sending messages like, "boys don't want dolls," or "dolls aren't for boys". Little boys need to go through their phase of learning to nurture and processing how things like social skills in the family work. They often do things like make their sisters' Barbie doll race her sports car, so how they play with dolls is often different than the way some girls do.
For the most part, even girls stop playing with dolls (unless they just collect them) at adolescence, so if I had a close-to-adolescence boy who wanted a doll - no. Younger than that - I'm flexible.
Yes I would. Trying to mold a child into our perceptions of what we think is politically correct will not change the person they are.
One should encourage any kind of creativity.
My husband always helped care for our babies, thus our boys always seemed to think it was natural to play with a doll. However, they seem to grow out of it much sooner than girls. Our boys moved on to trucks and GI Joes by the time they were 3 or 4.
I would have no problem with it if it was something he really wanted. I am a father who shares pretty equally the responsibility of raising our three young kids. I do feedings, change diapers, give baths, etc. I would hope he sees this as my role in our family and if he wanted to pretend doing the same with a doll, I would support fully.
Of course - why not? I have bought my son dolls. As a baby he always lit up whenever he saw a face, whether on a person or a doll or a toy. He has a few snuggle buddies, and some of them are soft dolls.
Absolutely!!! I think there is nothing wrong with boys having dolls. GI Joe was a doll. My son doesn't want one of those.
by Brown-eyed-girl 13 years ago
Would you let your son buy a barbie doll and play with it?How do you feel about it? Will it make a difference in a young boy's life?
by Peeples 12 years ago
Do you think companies should make some baby dolls marketed for boys?Since times have changed and it is now normal for a father to care for his child should companies start making little boy baby dolls to market to boys? All the current baby dolls are marketed to girls.
by Kelly A. Kline 12 years ago
Ruth Handler created a doll which became known as Barbie, named after her real life daughter named Barbie. Her tag line became "we girls can do anything".The history of her invention is fascinating, essentially the men in the toy industry told her no and she took her invention directly to...
by CrystalSingleton 16 years ago
I have two girls and one boy. Having said that my son being the oldest,he is the shyest and clingiest of them all. He definitely loves boy stuff, cars especially. My daughters are tough. They hold their own. My problem is that the friends my son has (all boys) are so rough. I see they...
by Kelly A. Kline 10 years ago
Grown up gifts and toys for older fun. Would you buy a Barbie doll for a gift?Gifts, I feel need to be an expression of fun and nothing spells fun to me more than a Barbie doll yet I never think of that for a gift. Would you buy or have you purchase a Barbie doll for a gift? If so, under what...
by lrohner 9 years ago
My son is 19 going on 10. Do teen boys ever grow up???I've been a single mom 4ever, have successfully raised two girls, and yet my 19 year old son leaves me perplexed. Advice puleeze?
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