Boys play with dolls - some prefer to play with the dolls over trucks and dinosaurs – and that’s OK! In my opinion it makes boys more nurturing – gentler and compassionate towards others. They seem to have a better empathy for others, and they tend to be less aggressive during play. This does NOT mean they will be more feminine, nor have a different sexual preference when they reach maturity.
I understand that some may have a strong opinion against boys playing with dolls, however I see the developmental aspects of doll play, that transfer into everyday skill building. It’s not just the social / emotional facet of doll play that is a positive influence; it’s the practical life skills that are attained. Think about dressing skills. There is a lot of fine motor development in dressing and undressing dolls. There is a lot of role playing and dramatic play that goes with doll play. This takes a lot of cognitive ability to set the stage for pretending to be a Daddy. Speech and language skills are acquired and honed in. Dolls can be used to assist in expressing feelings. A sense of responsibility can also be reinforced through doll play. This is just a sampling of the positive facet doll play offers.
Doll play is a realistic way to introduce the world in an empirical manner, to any child who is at a perceptive developmental stage. Young children – especially toddlers are like sponges and want to acquire knowledge of all things – dolls are a part of that. So whether the child playing with the doll is male or female should not be significant.
Leeanne A
Can I grab my soap box? I am SOOOOOOOOOO tired of society determining "girl" or "boy" toys. Children need to have a wide range of experiences and to work through the social situations of their lives with dolls, superheros, rough and tumble play.... It is how they learn...... Dolls are a perfect example, especially for those children who are becoming older siblings. Yes, Yes, Yes to doll play for all children! BOYS and GIRLS!
ReplyDeleteOh, and I have the perfect song..... Look it up by Peter Alsop (LOVE HIM!) http://peteralsop.com/FamRoles.htm#WeeWee
ReplyDeleteI guess that link goes to a lot of songs (sorry!) Check out the song, It's Only a Wee Wee :).
ReplyDeleteMy son would not play with dolls. He was convinced they were girl's toys (no idea where he got the idea since we were trying to stay gender neutral). But he loved dress up especially if there were high heels and dresses involved. Kids will play with what they play with. He's a teen now and still sleeps with his stuffed animals.
ReplyDeleteLove this :) The children in my classroom have always loved playing with dolls, dressing up in tu-tu's, wearing tap shoes, walking around with purses over their shoulders, feeding, burping, rocking and talking to the baby dolls! ( both boys and girls of course) My own son loved dolls when he was little and had several. He collected tons of stuffed animals and still insists that I keep his beloved collection of large stuffed gorillas (he's 18) I think if the adults have a healthy attitude about this the children do as well! After all, isn't raising wonderful, caring FATHERS a goal as well?
ReplyDeleteWe had a sub one day who kept insisting that one of our boys take off a pair of high heeled dress up shoes. The other aide and I just kept saying, "You look so nice!"
ReplyDeleteSo many of these boys are going to be dads one day, so there is no better time to start learning. I suggested I bought my nephew a doll (a very boy looking one) for his first birthday but it went down like a lead balloon, Hopefully he will find a stuffed animal to father.
ReplyDeleteNon gender specific play? Who would have thought it? I have boys in my room who just love to parade aroundd in dresses & that does not give any indication of what their sexual tendencies will be later in life, but even if it did - SO WHAT!? Let all children play with whatever they are interested in & makes them happy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your article and wonderful pictures. I hope this eases concerns that some parents have about boys playing with dolls. Yes, boys and girls are both different and the same. Their play will reflect how they engage differently with toys, but boys can play with dolls and girls can play with blocks. I've talked about this on my blog too, 123kindergarten.com
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Leeanne! I love that you pointed out the practical life skills that can be developed through playing with dolls. When I had a preschool, I often had a doll-washing activity in the practical life area that was very popular with both boys and girls. I pinned your post to my Toddlers - Activities and Ideas Pinterest board at http://pinterest.com/debchitwood/toddlers-activities-and-ideas/
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