Is it all right for boys to play with dolls??

United States
November 3, 2008 5:35pm CST
I was wondering about this the other day, my son is 2 and found some of my daughters old toys in storage and they are female wrestlers and a couple of polly pocket things. So my daughter was like oh do not let him play with those, but I was thinking that he is too small and probably does not really understand the difference and with the way he is playing with them i am sure it will not affect him. I dont know.
6 people like this
28 responses
4 Nov 08
There's nothing wrong with it, i always preferred playing with action men =]
1 person likes this
@Tianna2 (1273)
• United States
4 Nov 08
If he's having fun with them then why not? When I was young, I used to play with hot wheels and I dont really see much difference here. I think that you should let him play with but thats just my opinion. Hugs, Tianna
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
6 Nov 08
I would not worry at this age. However I would provide him with cars and other toys associated with boys. I would worry if he was some years older.
• United States
10 Nov 08
You made an excellent suggestion. Young children have to be taught what is "acceptable" for boys to play with.
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I run a daycare and the little boys love to play with the baby dolls. They also love to put the dress up dresses on with the lay high heel shoes and purses. I see no harm in it at all.
1 person likes this
@cjgrooms (4456)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Both my sons played with dolls when they were young , My oldest dragged around a porcelain doll and drooled on her head until her wig came off and he didn't quit dragging it around until he was around 3and his little brother broke her. My youngest son had an old Barbie doll that was named Uncle Dolly she would have put G.I. Joe to shame. She had been blown up with arms and legs ripped off in combat, He played with her from the time he was about a year old ( my daughter was around 14y/o and gave it to him to keep him occupied when he would go in her room)until he started kindergarten. Not only was she a good soldier she was also a good cook (he is 12 and still likes to cook) and a good security blanket when it was bed time. He knew Uncle Dolly wouldn't let anything happen to him at night. Both of my g-sons have dolls that they got for Christmas (little boy dolls)a couple years ago. My oldest g-son just turned 6 and his brother just turned 4 and when they came and spent the weekend this past week Charlie and Jeffery was with them.
@cjgrooms (4456)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Oh and by the way both of my girls played with "boy toys" such as remote control cars, tool kits to work on cars and carpenters tools to build things. Both of them are still girls-grown with families of their own- and i can't see that letting a boy have a doll is any different after all one day he may have children of his own and the fact that he actually had a doll that he loved and took care of may make him more comfortable with a baby. Oh and my boys are still VERY much boys!
@Barbietre (1438)
• United States
3 Nov 08
My grandaughter plays with trucks. Is that any different? My sons had Batman dolls they dressed up. I do not see a big deal in any of it. Our children have a certain genetic makeup and playing with cross gender toys will not change that.
1 person likes this
@Sir_bobby88 (8231)
• Singapore
16 Nov 08
Well i think that is ok as long as he is straight yea lol
@Celanith (2327)
• United States
4 Nov 08
My sons played with dolls when they were little and now my grandsons do. My four year old grandson takes his sisters dolls for rides on his tractor, truck or tricycle. He pretends he is taking them with Uncle Gerrin and they are having an adventure. He also has a special teddy bear and a doll that he says he is their dad. I think it is good for boys to play with dolls and girls with trucks. It teaches them appriciation for different types of jobs and choices and I think it helps as they model parents and their skills which later will help them be good dads. You can also watch and if they seem to be overly careless or start being violent you can teach them that is not how you treat children, babies or dolls. It is a good learning and teaching opportunity.
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
4 Nov 08
What, exactly...do you think could be an adverse affect of playing with a toy? Haven't we, as a society, learned that gender roles are fun to play with but don't really count for much for a child's development? HELL, my brother crossdressed when he was young. OK, so it was my idea, but he thought it was fun. I'd put him in my dresses, put lipstick and nail polish on him, as well as my Mom's high heeled shoes and necklaces. He was adorable. He's a teenager now, and he's thoroughly (ugh) still what people consider typical for a boy. I played with GI Joes as a little girl. My play themes tended to be more violent than my brother's lol. (I'd put all the barbies, GI Joes in a toy truck and push them down a hill into the mud) Every theme with my farm animal toys, was some robber or celestrial being trying to ambush their prosperity...and the girl character would always fight them -- and win with the help of the younger male characters. I'm not a girly girl, and I've never been one, but I think I turned out just fine.
• United States
4 Nov 08
My little brother played with barbies and dolls and he turned out to be a great young man. I don't think there is anything wrong with boys playin with girls toys or vise versa.
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
6 Nov 08
I don't see a problem with boys playing with dolls just like I don't see a problem with girls playing with toy cars. My only concern with your 2 year old playing with Polly Pocked things is that they are so small he could choke on them if he puts them in his mouth.
• United States
5 Nov 08
My son is 4. He likes care bears. He has many of them. He also plays with my daughters Polly Pocket stuff. I am not worried about him. He also like trucks and swords and playing in the dirt. Growing up sometimes my bother would play Barbie with me but more often I had to play with is "dolls" GI Joe and Heman. I say you have nothing to worry about.
• Philippines
10 Nov 08
im sure he doesn't have any idea on what he should and should not play with yet...all he cares about is having something to actually just "play" with....however, i still think that we should instill in our kids this early in what are the things they really can and can not play with...just so they wont be confused once the time comes. at least it would give them the notion early on that there are certain things we can and can not do...
• United States
10 Nov 08
It is normal. It is part of the child forming gender identity for themself and understanding the difference between males and females. It is something that children grow out of once they understand what society deems is okay for a boy to do and what a girl should do.
@jewilim (495)
• Philippines
4 Nov 08
I think its quite weird to see boys play with dolls. Well i guess it depends what kind of toys hie parents give him. I think it would be better to give young kids some educational toys or those toys which could stimulate their mind from thinking. Well, when i was still young all my toys are all for boys and i havent played with a doll before when i was still small. Maybe i just dont find anything interesting with dolls.
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
4 Nov 08
Of course its all right. They play with GI Joes or whatever boys get now...those are basically just dolls for boys. Anyways playing with dolls helps with imagination and If hes the only boy in a group if girls he gets to play still anyways. My mom used to babysit 2 other familys of kids... There was myself and my two sisters...the other family was 3 girls and then there was another family that was 2 girls and a boy. We'd take turns picking games and eveyrone would play...if it was barbies Ryan would play too but then he'd pick a game like firetrucks or something like that and we'd all play too. Saying boys cant play with dolls is like saying girls cant play with trucks or cars.
@jackiew (915)
• Canada
4 Nov 08
I don't see any harm in it.I know alot of little girls that prefer to play with trucks and cars then they do with dolls.How can you tell a little boy he can't play with a doll if a girl can play with a truck.I personally don't think they should be playing with them once they start school though.Too much teasing would start then.
• Philippines
4 Nov 08
OMG! It's funny but don't worry. Maybe when he plays it, you should also be there to guide him. Toys are just recreational things but there is some study I've read some time ago that says that boys who played dolls becomes more responsible.
• United States
4 Nov 08
My son is 5 and still plays with his sisters dolls and doll houses, I don't think it's a big deal, though my mom and fiance both yell at me for letting him. He also does the normal boy things like play with trains, watch cartoon network, you know, I don't think if affects them as much as some people say!!!
@smiraki1 (35)
• United States
4 Nov 08
you're probably right for now but if he continues to play with female toys when he gets older like around 5 then i believe that's a problem because at that age is when children realize what they're doing! he may think that he's supposed to look that way...lol...as funny as it sounds its true! well at least i think it's true! but at 2 he's probably playing with the toys the way my dog plays with his toys. just throwing them all over the place and being crazy with them!