I saw a boy playing with "Barbie" at a restaurant. Was I wrong to think it was inappropriate and creepy?

Question

If he has a "sister" she was not with them that day. What do you think?

Answer 1

You weren't at all wrong. You're entitled to your opinion, even if you'd said something to the mother and she took offense. You have the right to think what you want and speak your mind about it. There are a number of reasons why he could've had the Barbie though. Unless you know the family personally or they're neighbors of yours, you have no idea if the Barbie was left in the car by his sister or female playmate. I could be wrong but there was nothing in your question to make me think you'd seen them before to make a comparison.

I don't see this as a problem. The little boy could like the curves on the Barbie doll and be drawn to that. That was most certainly the case with one of my childhood friends- and he's a porn actor now. But if there is anything to find issue with in the situation, it's not the boy playing with the doll. It's the mother that bought him the doll in the first place.

Answer 2

my nephew plays with barbies, he also plays with cars, action figures and anything he can get his hands on. I believe you were wrong to think it was inappropriate and creepy...many girls were tom-boys when they were little including myself.. I am a female and I know this, I act like a female and look like one too. I am also not a lesbian..so I don't think playing with certain toys are going to shape someones personality in the long run, if that is what you are worried about maybe you should start making a fuss about little girls only getting vacuums, brooms, baking sets and basically anything that will teach her "home" life is for females and all the fun stuff is for males. My nephew will be fine playing with whatever he wants, I think a child is capable of choosing toys, it is after all their imagination.

Answer 3

Well it depends on the age of the child. My five year old some times plays with his cousins dolls. I don't care much for it but he doesn't really think anything of it because to him toys are toys. We all have a preconceived notion of gender assigned toys and behavior which is why boys get cars and trucks and girls get dolls and fake dishes. This doesn't mean he'll automatically be gay. He may grow up to have a thing for girls who look just like that Barbie. Children are blank slates, only made bad and ugly by the things they're taught.

Answer 4

No, it's not inappropriate or creepy for a boy to play with a traditionally gender specific toy. Would you have found it to be creepy if a little girl were sitting there playing with a Tonka truck or a baseball?

It's been proven that boys who play with dolls and stuffed animals like teddy bears grow up to be more nurturing, loving, caring parents.

Children who are allowed to play with all toys instead of gender specific toys end up with a better imagination and are more creative and successful in their adult years, as well.

Good for that little boy: he'll probably be happier later on than the little boy at the next table playing violent games on his GameBoy, smacking around combat dolls or violently destroying space alien figures

Answer 5

Why is that creepy? Don't girls play with Ken dolls? How old was the kid? Maybe if you spent more time worrying about yourself and not what some bored kid in a restaurant is doing you would be less concerned about stupid things like this. I was suprised that you didn't include some reference to Jesus saying Barbie is evil.

Answer 6

First, homosexuality is not caused by the toys one has or has had in life. This is IGNORANCE perpetrated by IGNORANT people. If that were in fact true, then I would be one for sure. This is an excuse but not a cause nor a sign. The fact is that if influential individuals, groups, or media perpetrate this lie enough, then a vast majority will believe it. The child himself will swallow it because of hearing over and over this same traditional view and weakness of conviction. This does not consider the individuality of each of us. I refused to allow myself to be manipulated or cornered into believing that any toy could make me alter my personal values or my masculinity. He is a male, therefore why should he not be attracted to a female replica? How many expect him to date or marry a female? Is it not then hypocritical to judge him now? Giving a girl a baby doll nor her playing with one does not insure that she will be a good mother nor even become one in the future. Common sense says that toys are ONLY fantasy and not REALITY. Get over it. If he has been given good core values without hypocrisy by the parents from a very young age, he will not be so apt to be swayed by others. He may be more matured than other boys his age when it comes to females. My view of girls were as future girlfriends or a spouse from the beginning and not undesired pests. Look how girls play with them? How many are left lying around unclothed. How many boys do that with their GI Joes?

Answer 7

I think you're wrong. Action figures are action figures, whether it's barbie, GI Joe etc. Anyhow a child doesn't know about what that could possibly mean to an adult. They are innocent and just playing. Who care what the toys are as long as he is having fun. You cannot put that on a child.

Answer 8

You weren't wrong...but a lot of psych-babblers will probably say you are. Its kinda like methods of punishment...the psych freaks started saying what was and wasn't appropriate and the teenage crime rate went up dramatically. Now they say that him playing with a barbie is an important step to self-discovery and the number of people who claim to be homosexual is higher than EVER. If you raise a kid like a girl, there's a chance he'll act like a woman when he's grown. I say put 2 and 2 together, but I imagine some "anything goes" liberal nut will disagree.

Answer 9

How old? Often little boys play with dolls. My son plays that he is a mom (his word) with his older sister and is very loving to his baby doll. He also loves cars, trucks, and trains and throwing a ball around.

Maybe this boy just likes hooters. You never know...

Answer 10

Nothing wrong with it at all! The kids probably just exploring/learning. If my daughter wanted trucks, cars, or a boy doll I would have NO problems with that whatsoever.