Maybe you said something like “…the most attractive sight in the world.” “Look I spotted a unicorn!”
Dads, how many times have you said: “No son of mine is going to play with dolls!”
Parents, stop yourself right there with that internalized misogyny.
If we want confident men who know how to nurture themselves and others and raise a family, they need to hone their emotional intelligence. Here’s how dolls for boys can help:
If you’re still asking “Should boys play with dolls?”, the answer is yes. And here’s one reason why:
Care play, as it’s known, impacts the behavior of young boys in a positive way.
Most parents want their children to play nicely with other kids. This usually means be gentle, kind, caring and show empathy.
While kids are certainly born with a natural temperament, boys playing with dolls can be trained to an extent to foster more nurturing attitudes. Even if it’s against their instincts.
But when boys play with dolls it doesn’t only help them with their behaviors in their young lives. It also helps them to become more caring, nurturing and emotionally intelligent later in life.
In typical pre-school setting boys will have access to different “centers”. These include things like outside play, science and math, building and one called the home center.
In the home center, all children are encouraged to play with toys that allow them to model behaviors they see from their parents at home.
Be it cooking, cleaning, setting the table or playing with dolls, modeling these behaviors helps to normalize these activities for boys.
That’s to say, taking care of the home is not an exceptional thing for men or boys to strive for and teaching them that early on lays a foundation for combatting the sexism they will likely witness in life.
Let’s face it. Dolls are everywhere!
Maybe your son has an older sister or a cousin who plays with dolls. Maybe he’s in pre-school, or you are out shopping and he comes across a doll he likes in the toy section.
There’s no avoiding the prevalence of dolls as a practical play toy for boys and girls. But when a doll is given to a boy, a parent has the ability to teach their son something important that could otherwise be missed.
Due to the practical nature of care-play, it’s convenient and important for parents to promote boys playing with dolls.
In an effort to let children choose their own preferences, more and more parents are feeling progressive about dolls for boys.
That’s a good thing because all parents should be concerned with teaching positive behaviors that lead to deep emotional development.
For more information on the latest trends in children’s toys explore our site.
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