Your son plays with Barbies

[Special1920]

Would you mind if your son only wanted to play with Barbie dolls?
What if he wants to play dress up wearing "mommie's" clothes? Or if he ask to try on your lipstick? How would you handle it? How would your husband? Is it ok? Does it makes a difference if he is 3, 7, 10, or 15?

[PrettyPetite]

Hmm...I don't know. I have a little 5 year old boy in my resource room class, and he's fixated on everything related to women. He can't draw anything but little dolls, with long hair, and he thinks that a red marker looks like lipstick. Plus he has a fixation for long hair. I have a puppet in the classroom that has long hair, and whenever the kids get free time, he wants to play with that puppet, and he likes to brush the hair. At the beginning of the school year, he was a real behavior problem, and once his regular classroom teacher figured out he had a fixation for feminine things, she brought a doll with long hair to school and told him if he can behave, he can play with the doll. That boy has behaved wonderfully in her class ever since.




Scary.



To answer the question, if I have a little girl AND a little boy, and he wants to play with her dolls, I would allow it, for a short time. He will NOT be trying on Mommy's lipstick, shoes, makeup, etc. I am NOT trying to have my baby end up like Prince when he gets older.

[CkretCrush8]

I don't know...I guess it depends...I don't think I would want my son playing any type of dolls (unless it's G.I. Joe) or to learn sensitivity towards woman. To a degree I guess I would let him play with dolls but then again...i would be very cautious about it.

[Shelacious]

Originally posted by Special1920
Would you mind if your son only wanted to play with Barbie dolls?
What if he wants to play dress up wearing "mommie's" clothes? Or if he ask to try on your lipstick? How would you handle it? How would your husband? Is it ok? Does it makes a difference if he is 3, 7, 10, or 15?

Well, I wouldn't be thrilled if he wanted to play ONLY with Barbie dolls, but I would figure he would grow out of it. I don't think that allowing your son to play with traditionally feminine things sets him on a path for being a transvestite or waxing anywhere along the path. I think that when parents "forbid" things outright without a rationale explanation, it sets off some inbred child antenna that demands that they MUST try it. I will encourage both genders of my kids to play with blocks, robots, chemistry sets, sports AND a few "softer" pursuits like playing school, ice skating etc. I just think we begin gender inequity way too early in this culture. Most kids figure it out on their own anyway.

By the time he's 15...well, I probably won't have so much control over that issue anyway.

[DOVE1920]

I think it is important to keep in mind that gender is a social construction. Unfortunately, in North American society everything associated with female is considered weak or submissive. I would allow my child(ren) to explore both sides;I think everyone is a combination of male/female characteristics. I don't think boys or girls should be regulated to playing with gender specific toys or activities.