son wanting to play with baby dolls

Niketa - posted on 10/27/2012

Hi, My name is Niki Bhatia and I am the author of a childrens book, PINK IS JUST A COLOR AND SO IS BLUE. It is about letting go of our old gender stereotypes about colors (pink and blue) and toys kids choose to play with. The main character is a little boy who is not too athletic and his best friend is a feisty little girl who is "tomboyish". Our ultimate goal is to assure that our kids grow upto be confident, productive individuals, without placing so much emphasis on color and toys when they are sooo young.Toys are just a means of exploring and learning about the big world. Don't we expect our men to loving and nutruring. So why not let him learn that through playing with dolls...





http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Just-Color-So...

Ashley - posted on 12/26/2009

my son is 2 and loves to play with babydolls. at first i thought that it was weird but I was watchin him and what he was doing was just imitating me. so I felt a little better. I think that all boys do it wether they admit it or even remember it. If it were my son I would getit. then tell everyone he is just praticing being a daddy.

Pamela - posted on 12/24/2009

I think he will a caring father. I would tell him that his children will be glad to have a loving, caring father like him. Ask him how many children he wants to have when he marries. 6 year olds are talking about marriage these days; i don't think it is bad just guide him to his role as father. The world needs sympathetic, caring fathers. Tell him what children need from fathers. If your concern is his identity, guide him in the way he is showing you he wants to be, hands on. Give them an identity, like the little fathers. Do you give him responsibilities with his younger brothers like helping with their needs; are there babies in the extended family or neighborhood that he could spend time with and hold in his lap, feed or dress under supervision so he can acquire familiarity with the reality of having a child? When he is about 5 or 6 he will be telling you who are the girls he likes ( a reflection of the caring nature that he has). Well, those are my thoughts. Take care.

Ashley - posted on 12/22/2009

I think that it is totally fine! They say that boys who play with dolls at some point of their youth become better daddy's when they are older. Also they are just little boys and they are just curious.

JESSICA - posted on 12/22/2009

This is totally normal. All kids go through stages of wanting to play with boy/girl toys. Especially if they have access to siblings or relatives toys. My 18 mth old daughter loves her babies, pretend cooking stuff, and purses, shoes, etc but she also loves her brothers monster trucks, wrestler's, football, etc and we allow her to play along with those toys..it doesn't mean your child will turn into a weird mess. The bright side is your son will be a very nurturing and loving father one day.

Sarah - posted on 12/22/2009

I've got a 2 year old boy who also likes playing with dolls and pushing prams its quite normal and my family have encouraged it they told me that if a boy plays with dolls then when they get older they going to be natural with kids I think everybody that is against the idea needs a reality check and thats the problem with todays society my boy likes pink clothes and when hes at home he wears it its not doing him any harm people are so judgemental these days and remember if you have other younger kids he's just copying what you do maybe its a sign that he wants a baby sister or he just feels left out since he's a big boy now and you could be babying the others personally I wouldnt worry bout it I'd but him a doll for christmas and just watch his behavour with it good luck hope this helps you, merry christmas

Tressia - posted on 12/22/2009

my 5 year old when he was a toddler played with dolls and always wanted in my make up. hes all boy now, worms swords bakugans yugioh transformers, the works. but from about 2 to 4 he carried around a blonde baby doll and fed her and kissed her and hugged her. im sure he will be fine.

Jacqueline - posted on 12/22/2009

The males in your family frowning downat it are what is going to cause the damage to the situation and take it way out of control. I wouldn't recommend buying him a female doll but getting him a male one like my buddy or something so it can be like his best friend. Then break him into GI Joes and the like.

Alyssa - posted on 12/22/2009

I do know a lot of boys play with baby dolls! I think they just want to care for someone like you care for them! They see you doing it, and they want to do it to!! Go ahead and get him the doll! He will grow out of it.

Heather - posted on 12/22/2009

maybe try getting him some GI joes?

Susan - posted on 12/22/2009

ya know that shows he will be a great loveable person when he grows up he not going to be damage when he gets older my nephew had baby dolls and he just fine he is 16 yrs old and have tons of girlfiends and stuff but other then that hes just a boy who like baby dolls. toys build a since of takeing care of something ya know they see you and they like the mommy role they may even be at home dads when they grow up they may even just like babies children are the eyes of god ya never know what there going to show use through there eyes everything is a new adventure that baby doll my even belike a (Imaginary Friend) to them just be there and support them throught there transitions and everthing will be ok at the end of the day

Angela - posted on 12/22/2009

My son is 2 and carries a baby doll around. I have no problem and I think it will make him a great older brother in 8 months and a great father one day. Their too young to know that its a girl toy.

Heather - posted on 12/21/2009

I have two boys an a girl ...and my boys both have played with dolls it's not a bad ideal or thing either it helps teach them to be gentle an how to hold a real baby with out the oopses of being rough.. my oldest not as much no more unless his sister begs him but my youngest walks around from time to time pretending that his stuffies are babies an will take his sisters baby alive and thinks it so neat that he can feed it an that it talks i dont see anything wrong with it an it's a toy that teaches ...think of it this way how many guys knew how to hold there first baby with out thinking they were going to break them or hurt them some how so they refuse till they get bigger an miss out but playing with dolls could keep that from happening

Hailey - posted on 12/21/2009

id just get him one at least you know he wil be happy on christmas day imagine how sad he will feel if santa doesnt bring him what he wants

Jasmine - posted on 12/21/2009

it is just a doll, it isn't like he is playing with fire. girls like dolls because they want to pretend to be mommy. why can't boys want to pretend to be daddy? there is nothing weird about it. my cousins would constatly steal my baby doll and take good care of her. if the men in the family get worked up about it just tell them it is because they have taken such good care of him and other babies he is trying to be just like them. lol

Rhea - posted on 12/21/2009

When we go over to my grandpa's house my 3 year old son likes to play with my old barbie dolls... Don't get me wrong he loves trucks and all the boy stuff....

Jessica - posted on 12/21/2009

This is quite a hard question. You see my cousin always played with dolls and dressups and girls and ended up gay. But they say some are born like that (not to menshion there's nothing wrong with it and he's very happy). Then again my partner loved his GIO they'd dress him up and played games so I guess it depends on them not what you buy them. :)

Sarah - posted on 12/21/2009

I bought my son a doll and he loved it and it totally helped him become a more nurturing little boy and he's really good with babies and little kids, my husband opposed at first but has definitely come around since he's seen the good effect it had on him we just got him one with blue clothes on and our oldest one with pink clothes on and he played away. all three of our kids play so well now cause they all have the same interests in dolls, trucks etc you get my point i say go for it

Stacie - posted on 12/21/2009

its normal! my nephew has always played with one and it actually helped him become more accepting with his 3 month old brother when he was born! and he still plays with his doll. he has had one since he was 18 months and he is 4 now!

Kari - posted on 12/21/2009

id say get him the doll. my boy plays with his sister's dolls and i think that its a good thing. boys should learn how to handle babies to not just girls. i think if more boys had played being a daddy as a boy there would be alot more good fathers out there lol

Jaci - posted on 12/21/2009

My godson is just turning 3 in January and he loves teddy bears and baby dolls. He's learning a little slower than other children his age and is just now starting to put words together and learn what things are, but when it comes to his toys, he'd rather have a baby doll than a car/truck.

Dont be afraid of your son being homosexual either. Of course, there is always a chance that later in life he may end up liking men instead of women, just because he plays with dolls right now doesnt mean thats what's going to happen with him. And does it matter if your son does end up being homosexual? Won't you still love him just the same? I'm afraid that's a risky question, and I'm sorry if that was offensive, but I'm pregnant with my first child and whether I have a boy or girl, it doesnt matter what toys they want to play with, whether the boy wants dolls and a purse or the girl wants train sets and race cars. I will still love my child just the same as I always have if they do end up being "different" from how I think they will be when they grow up.

Sarah - posted on 12/21/2009

Dont feel bad i have a 4 yr old girl and she is all about hotwheels

Lisa - posted on 12/21/2009

Children imate their parents. your son see his dad being "daddy" so he is too, My son is the same age and he plays loves his dolls. He started when My younger baby was born. It is a good way for him to play out his feelings too. Which is very good for boys b/c they have a harder time with feelings than girls.

Amber - posted on 12/21/2009

now my three year old doesn't play with dolls but he does do the cats in strollers. and he just love babies my b/f used to tell me he would grow up as a homosexual and i would just laugh. I mean so what if he will be a kinder more understanding man? My son is being raised mostly by me and my best friend. And i hope santa brings him that baby doll.

April - posted on 12/21/2009

First of all I assure you it doesn't mean he is homosexual or anything like that. You should be proud your son is the nurturing type and cares for babies. There is no "typical" way to be a boy. Society is the reason we expect boys to like dirt, trucks, and slime. Some children just have big hearts and care a lot. He wants something he can call his own, a "child" of his own. For some reason there is a need to feel needed by a baby. When he plays with his baby doll does he "mother" it? He may look up to you so much that he wants to imitate Mommy and after seeing Mommy mothering his little brothers, he feels he must do the same. He sees it as an important aspect of life. Why not get into his head and find out why a baby doll is so important to him. What are his feelings regarding having a baby doll and what does he think he is supposed to do for the baby doll? He probably feels like he is doing good and feels proud that he is fulfilling his "duty", although he wouldn't be able to articulate that. Getting him a baby doll won't make him a sissy and his uncles and whomever else thinks it is a negative thing are very wrong. Encourage his nurturing side, if you tell him that boys aren't supposed to want baby dolls you may do a lot of damage. You would be telling him that he is not "normal" and that he shouldn't be himself. He is doing no one any harm and you are helping him become a very caring person. IMHO, get him the doll, put a smile on his face, and encourage him that he is a very normal, capable boy whom you are very proud of. The twins will always look up to their brother and want to emulate him, that is normal. If they don't have the same characteristics as he does, the twins will outgrow it and find things they like for themselves. I fear the concern with the male family members is that you are teaching your sons to be homosexual, if you give in to their fears you can cause a lot of harm to your sons' psyche. One doesn't have sexual attractions at that age and having feminine characteristics (in the societal definition) doesn't make one gay. In fact, making your son feel ashamed of who he is will actually cause more confusion and shame. There are gay people with male and female traits (I personally hate those classifications and think they should be done away with) as well as heteros. Stigmatizing your son to feel incomplete and flawed will damage his self-esteem greatly and for what a baby doll? I assume if he did grow up to feel he was gay you would love him anyway but that is something determined by nature anyway. Giving him a baby doll won't change his sexual orientation either way, you can't change it. Stifling his personality on the other hand and adding shame to the mix isn't worth it. Who cares about the opinions of folks who obviously don't know much about the subject in the first place and are using their judgmental biases to cloud their opinions. If you are that concerned speak to a behavioral psychologist who really does know about the issue. I don't know everything on the subject but I have taken some classes in it and am a bisexual woman myself, and I was the girliest girl you could ever meet.

Nicole - posted on 12/21/2009

i feel that if your son is playing with baby dolls that just shows that as an adult he will be a good father

Azeneth - posted on 12/21/2009

it is perfectly normal, they go through phases and one day they want nothing to do with the doll

Shawna - posted on 12/21/2009

My son is the same way... loves baby dolls. Now it's Barbie commercials too! My husband, brothers & father in law freaked too but they got over it. It's a weird insecurity they all have. If it makes the kid happy... go for it!

Sharmaine - posted on 12/21/2009

my 3 nearly 4 year loves all the little boy things and dolls too.
he has dolls and barbies.And he tells me all the time how cute the little tiny baby things are, he loves to change the nappies and feed them. really i dont think it matters wat anyone thinks at all as long as my baby is happy. I hate it when people try to tell him that he cant do somethings cause its a "girls toy".

Varinia - posted on 12/21/2009

Over here we had an advert on the telly about something and it had this as subject.

It was two boys playing with barbies. One boy is left at ease and the other is forced to play with a G.I.jo or whatever its called. Then you see in the future and the boy that was forced to play with the male doll was a buff guy and hung around with his boyfriends dancing to ymca (lol) the boy that was left at ease was surrounded with playbunny-like girls and lived in a mansion....

Now, the advert was to do with lottery or something, but my point is actually that.... it doesn't matter what your kid plays with... it means NOTHING !!!!!!!
My girl plays with cars and dolls....my boy plays with...Cars and dolls...my two nephews even have a lil'cleaning sett to help their mum around the house (both age 5 and 4)

The advert just made me laugh because its true in what it says...and if you force your kid into something else, who knows what might happen??? lol....

really...if your kid wants the doll...give it....he'll be happy for years to come and eventuallty discover girls and leave the dolls alone, leaving you to wish he still just played with dolls...lol ^^

Amanda - posted on 12/21/2009

my son plays with his big sisters dolls/pram anbd house it hasnt harmed him I think its a fase they go through there just exploring hes grow out it  dont worry

son wanting to play with baby dolls

My son is 3 almost 4 and he is like a typical boy he loves all boy stuff but he loves baby dolls to or stuffed animals he just told me he didnt want this dinosaur thing for christmas he wants a new baby doll.. I have never bought him one before but my mom did at a good will one time at he loves it but other people think he's being weird his uncles, great grandfather and dad they all said they never wanted to even play with dolls now my twin 2 yr olds (boys) are doind the same thing copying big brother I dont know if I should feed in to it and get him a new baby for christmas or not what do u think? has any one dealt with this before? he cried so hard tonight at walmart b/c he wanted "baby alive" it was not a typical fit either it was heart broken tears but being it was so close to christmas i told him no we will have to wait and see what santa brings

Candyce - posted on 12/21/2009

I hate the idea that parents have to instill masculinity. My god, no wonder so many little boys are mean. They are forced into this rough and tumble, no emotion, children.

I say buy him a baby doll and let him be sensitive. I think when you let kids be who they are and enjoy what they enjoy they are happier therefore you are happier.

Lol My little 4 year old brother calls my older brothers old teddy bear "Mikko" which is what he calls my son because he hasn't figured out the "n" sound yet. He even puts it in my son's highchair od baby swing and buckles it in. It's funny.

Pamela - posted on 12/20/2009

Hi Ashley, My name is PJ and I am the mother of a & yr old son. He wanted baby dolls at that age to and sometimes still does. Don't listen to the hype some people may tell you about boys and baby dolls. It may help him be a better father later in life. It shos his caring heart.

Jaime - posted on 12/20/2009

i say let him play!!! If you don't get him one, he will want one even more!! And what is wrong with a boy playing with babies? Doesn't your husband like babies... or rather didn't he play with your kids when they were babies? It won't make his gay! If he is going to be gay it will be from many many other more complicated reasons! And even if he was, you would still love him I am sure, so just let the child play the way he wants. He is probably just trying to be like mommy anyway--- because he has watched you take care of your twins.

Clarissa - posted on 12/20/2009

its just a phase all babies go through it well most do

VANESSA - posted on 12/20/2009

i have a three year old myself and i dont think that by him playing with the dolls are a problem. he plays house with my four year old daughter all of the time and i think that when he gets older he will be a good parent. dont get me wrong he does his boy thing too he plays with his cars and acts like your typical boy. but let him be. there is no problem with him playing with dolls.

Malissa - posted on 12/20/2009

I can't see any harm to it really. I mean G.I. Joe was basically a boy's "Barbie" (*cough* I mean action figure) and all the boys I knew that played with them turned out fine. Plus growing up I preferred catching frogs and playing with my friends bat-mobile over Barbies and tea sets and I'm doing good. All kids experiment with different toys, plus people are always saying it's okay for girls to be tom-boys, why does there have to be a double-standard for boys?

Rebecca - posted on 12/20/2009

Dont' worry about it. We bought a doll for our son right after our second child was born and it was actually a potty training doll,you feed it and put it on the potty...well the night we got home with it myself nor my husband were allowed to touch it lol. He still lvoes dolls and he is 2yrs old but he also knows to bring them to his sister,who is 5 months. He is just learning form you. Did he start to like the dolls while you were pregnant or after yuo had the twins? It could be that he saw how you were a mother and he wanted to do the same. Or he might have watched daddy...we don't think there is anything wrong with our husbands holding a baby so i dont' see anythign wrong in our sons doing it. Everytime i fed our daughter our son would run and get his dolls bottle and feed her. I think it's cute and it's a phase. My son too loves boyu toys, trucks, dinos, swords...don't sweat it:)

Happy Holidays!!

Stephenie - posted on 12/20/2009

my son loves to play with dolls, barbies and loves dress up(my husband doesnt like it either)-they say most boys go through it-not to worry-i buy my son boy dolls and boy doll clothes-i think they make them for a reason or they wouldnt make them. right? anyways dont worry about it and get them what you know they would really play with. Here is another idea to go along with it to make the men in their lives happier- get a big tonka truck that the doll can fit in and tell the boys its the dolly's truck-just an idea-hope this helps-good luck and merry christmas

Leticia - posted on 12/20/2009

my son will be 4 in may and he does yhe same thing sometimes. he looks at them at the store and goes "awww how cute!" and then he'll play with is lil sisters dolls sometimes. he even tries to nurse the baby dolls that cry. he's a normal lil boy, but i think he just mimics what he sees at home. do you have all boys?, or maybe he just wants to copy you bc he's seen you do it when his brothers were babies?

Tina - posted on 12/20/2009

after working with reception class and nursery children (ages between 3 and 5) i know just how many boys out there DO play with dollies and prams this is completely natural and encouraged too tp prepare them for adulthood not only dolls but playing house and with 'kitchen' type toys, girls these days seem to drift more towards the lego and the cars which are looked upon as 'boys toys'

i do not think toys should be aimed at gender but that they should be age appropriate

your son will probably grow out of this phase as he grows but you should encourage it as much as you can and tell these male family members that you are preparing your son for his adult life when he will most likely become a daddy - all this practise he is getting will make him great at it

Kym - posted on 12/20/2009

my son is 4.5 and has a doll, he loves playing with. he will play babies with my 2 year old daughter all the time. I also work in a daycare and all the little boys play with dolls, at this age you should not discourage a child playing with a toy because its not made for their gender, it is perfectly natural for a little boy to play with dolls just as it is perfectly natural for a little girl to play with trucks. dont worry about what the adult males in your family are saying about it, chances are they played with dolls too.

Jessica - posted on 12/20/2009

My cousin grew up with an all girl family so he played with the girls and we played with dolls and so did he he played with dolls until he was 8 years old... He is 13 now and he is a normal boy he likes basket ball, football and all the things that boys like. It supposed to mean that they are going to be good with babies when they are older.

Elizabeth - posted on 12/20/2009

my best friend has a little boy around the age of 3 and he absolutely loves baby dolls! she buys them for him also. i personally dont think there is anything wrong with it...another friend of mine told her that it just means he will turn out to be an awesome daddy one day!! i have also read articles before that said more boys will want to play with girl toys and girls tend to want to play with boyish toys....i have a sixteen month old daughter and she could care less about a baby...she would rather play with a cell phone or my laptop!!!! i say buy him baby dolls if thats what makes him happy :) i think he will grow out of it before you know it!!

Rikki - posted on 12/20/2009

i say good for your lill boy i think its great when children can play with all toys they learn far more from diff situations and diff kinds of play im a child care worker and we encourage all sorts of play at our center and trust me there are plenty of boys that play with dolls it dosent mean they are strange they just have active minds and want to get everything they can out of all kinds of play i think its great and if your family cant understand it i would begin to think they may be a lill bit old fashion.......let your son go for it he will grow out of it just like the dinosaur and something new will pop up :)))))

Melissa - posted on 12/20/2009

I definatly vote for getting him a doll.

Jamie - posted on 12/19/2009

It makes for good daddy's later on!

Shannyn - posted on 12/19/2009

Many men are insane. Boys play with dolls, it's normal, healthy and GOOD for them. It teaches them to nurture and love, it also takes away a bit of the "woman's place" crap that's instilled in so many people these days. We didn't do "gender specific toys" EVER- now our boys who are 10 and 7 are ALL boy- regardless of the countless dolls they had- and our daughter- who is almost 4, is GIRLY with a hint of boy.



I am sure the underlying issue is homosexuality- people aren't MADE gay- they're BORN gay. Men really need to atleast TRY to understand that.

Justine - posted on 12/19/2009

it develops empathy that is especially important in boys as boys tend to be harsher by nature and are more prone to being apathetic. i dont see a problem letting your son play with dolls. it may make him into a man that is good to women, which, im assuming, is the kind of man you want to raise. he doesnt know the difference between genders yet and is still figuring out who he is, and will continue to do so for quite a few years, so if you try to push him in one direction or another it could be damaging to his self-esteem and make him think he is doing something wrong.

i just read through the other posts before a posted this, and i have to say there are some wonderful things up there. not a negative word from anyone! sometimes this site makes me a little discouraged, but not tonight. thank you for your post and to everyone for all the wonderful responses.

Meagan - posted on 12/19/2009

what a good boy! babies are a real part of adult life men could use more training in. toys with guns and huge muscles arent exactly a realistic role models for growing up. if your son has had baby brothers of course u taught him to love and nurture babies. good for him i think the whole family could take a hint from little man! he will be a great daddy one day. its not like hes asking for princess dress up shoes and makeup... DO NOT suppress a sweet little boy!