Boys playing with dolls?

Question

What do you think of little boys playing with dolls?

My son is only 1 year old but I've often wondered if he might like a baby doll when hes a bit older. Theres a 3 year old at our mum and baby group who LOVES dolls and has his own doll and pushchair, lol! He has great fun pushing it around! He pretends he's a "daddy" looking after his "baby". (He has a baby sister and obviously has seen his dad caring for her).

I think thats actually very positive. It teaches him that daddies don't just do "blokey" things with tools and cars, but they look after babies too.

I thought about getting him a soft-bodied baby doll for Christmas, but my other half is horrified at the idea! Do you think its OK for little boys to play with dolls? I mean girls play with train sets, guns etc don't they (I did!)

Amy - well when my partner was a little boy his mum tells me that he apparently had a little toy vacuum cleaner and ironing board and used to love to "help mummy" with the housework, lol!!!

Answer 1

I think its a very healthy thing. As one day little boys become men and in turn will probably become fathers.
Little girls practise mothering skills with their dolls so little boys should be able to practise fathering skills as well.
I think dolls are great learning tools esp when another baby is on its way.

I make it a point with my girls to let them know that there is no such thing as boy or girl toys. Toys are just toys and for children to enjoy no matter the gender of the child.

My friend's son is 5 (My daughters are 6 and 4) and when he comes over he gets upset that they have cars and dinosaurs and farm animals because they are girls!!! And those are boys toys. But then he'll turn around and play dress ups or Mums and Dad's with their dolls etc. But then when we visit them my girls play with all the his 'boys' toys and play boyish games. As long as they are all playing nicely and having fun it really doesnt matter whether they are playing with dolls or playing spies.

Answer 2

If he has shown an interest in dolls then go ahead and buy him one. My son started playing with his big sisters dolls from being a small baby and now, aged 3, he has had his own doll and pushchair since he was around 18months - he loves looking after baby lol. He also has a little kitchen, mop, bucket cleaning set and ironing board as well as many 'boys' toys.

My partner was the same as yours, he hated the idea of him having a doll or anything 'girly'. Then a few of his friends admitted that they too had bought their own son's one!. But little boys and little girls have no concept of stereotype, they don't see it as a 'girly' toy or 'boy's' toy. They just see something fun, which they enjoy playing with. It has NO reflection on sexuality - which deep down i think most men think it does.

Answer 3

I remember playing with lego, blocks and cars when I was a little girl. My son played with dolls as well when he was younger. He had a playmate that was a girl and she was really girly girl. Barbies and push strollers and highchair for her dolls. My son had a great time pushing the doll stroller around. He grew out of it. Now he is totally into trains and cars and anything sirens. I don't allow him to play with guns though. Except big colourful waterguns. His friend now who is 7 and is a boy, he teaches my 5 year old about gangs and shooting. WHICH IS NOT OK in my opinion.

I see nothing wrong with that at all. Now my son at age 5 says he wants to be a really good daddy to take care of his kids. Maybe playing with dolls when he was younger encouraged that. I didn't encourage it nor discouraged him playing with dolls at all. It was entirely his choice.

Answer 4

There is absolutely nothing wrong with little boys playing with dolls,i have seen lots of little boys with dolls and buggies, its a toy at the end of the day, i can understand his dads reaction, most blokes would be the same but maybe if you get it and show him that it does no harm then he will understand, i think its great for boys to learn womany things nowdays, because they grow up knowing that men and women are equal and its not always the woman who stays at home like it used to be.

Answer 5

When they first came out, I stood in line for hours to get my son a Cabbage Patch Doll named Jacob Solomen. My son was 2 at the time and that doll went everywhere with us from vacations to the dentist. We even made Jacob play outfits and a coat so he wouldn't get cold in the winter.

There is nothing wrong with a little boy having a cuddle. He will give it up around the time he starts school.

Answer 6

I have a friend who just bought his grandson a doll of his own. He found nothing wrong with it, since he himself played with dolls as a child. He was a great father to his daughter and is great as a grandfather as well. When his son in law found out about the doll he thought the mother had bought it and went off saying that boys who play with dolls grow up to be wimps, weirdos and gay. My friend, ( a US Army Special Forces, BTW) says to his son-in-law, "Is that really what you think of me?", then told the s-i-l that HE had bought it because HE had a doll at that age.

BTW: There is nothing wrong with toy guns, they can be used to teach proper handling of real guns.

Answer 7

There is nothing wrong with a boy playing with dolls. I used to help a pre-school playgroup and it was fairly common for boys, for a time, to play with dolls and pushchairs. All I would say is that it might be best for him to make that decision for himself - if he wants to - rather than you deciding for him. Think about it the other way round. You say you played with trains and guns. Did you choose that for yourself or did your parents say that it would be a good idea?

Answer 8

My 18 month old son LOVES dolls!! I do absolutely nothing one way or the other to encourage or to discourage it. he has a baby sister arriving an a very few weeks and I htink its great that he is learnign to "care" for babies.
Its funny though that my now 13 year odl daughter preferred to play with trucks and my son prefers dolls LOL

Answer 9

i don't care what people's opinions are on this, i think it is a good thing. my son was given a doll when he was around one- he never bothered with it- now his sister plays with it. My cousin played with a doll when we were kids he grew to be perfectly normal (bless you Ben). I believe it to be healthy for them to be caring, it will be easier for him when he is older to show feelings etc. My son now has a bear to take to bed with him, i encourage it as he is a little rough and i want to teach him how to be gentle with his younger sister.

GUNS are wrong. They should not be toys. My brother is a perfect 'bad' example of the stereotypical 'i am a boy' attitude and he has had a lot of problems from going to school and is still struggling to sort himself out (drugs, police etc)- he was allowed to watch Arnie when he was 3 for goodness sake.!!

Answer 10

It's fine, I'm a grown up girl and I had tons of dinky cars, scaletrix sets and train sets etc when I was young, children will play with whatever they can it does not mean anything at all.
I think the issue is more with your partner than your child.