I spoke with my husband about it but he did not have any concern whatsoever. I was disappointed; mostly upset. How could he not worry about it? He will change. Today he likes playing dolls with his sister, tomorrow he will play Mario Brothers.
Looking back, I feel embarrassed about my attitude. My son is now 9 years old. He does not care about colors or dolls anymore. He wears white, black, blue, yellow, pink, red, purple, brown or any other color. He likes Taekwondo and playing Minecraft. Although once in a while, to please his little sister, he sits in her room to play Barbie with her, but only because she asked him to, and because he wants to be a good big brother.
He knows if he refuses, it will make his sister sad. My heart melts every time I see it. Society continues to see masculinity in girls as a strength and femininity in boys as a weakness. We tell little girls that they can be anything they want to be: doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, astronauts or the president.
But we shy away from giving little boys the same courtesy of unlimited opportunity. Why is it okay for a girl to play with cars and trucks or to dress up as Spiderman, Superman or Batman, but we feel uncomfortable when a boy plays with dolls? Kids will be kids. They evolve every single day. If there is a kid who believes he is Kermit the Frog, does that mean he is going to be a frog?
I played with my brother's cars, trucks and all the other boy stuff. Yet experts say there's little reason to believe that feminine play is a precursor to homosexuality in boys. Moreover, they say, sexual orientation is not really what concerns them. What does concern them are issues of gender confusion that may surface due to deeper psychological problems in the child.
Myers-Walls points out that behaviors such as playing with dolls or playing house do not cause a boy to become gay, just as those same activities do not cause a girl to become heterosexual.
While experts say that displaying some degree of gender atypical behavior is quite common in children, excessive cross-gender behaviors could indicate a child is experiencing gender identity disorder. Gender identity disorder is a psychological disorder in which the child may express a repeated desire to "be" the other sex or to exclusively spend time with the opposite sex.
David Sandberg, an associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Buffalo, explains that when a boy's interest in female items and activities is "persistent and pervasive" and, most importantly, when there is an aversion to male behaviors, a diagnosis of GID may be warranted.
For example, a child may exhibit a strong preference for cross-dressing, cross-sex roles in play and playmates of the opposite sex. William Pollack, a psychologist and child behavior expert at Harvard Medical School, emphasizes GID is not just a matter of interest in feminine play but more a lack of interest in typically "boy things.
Children learn through play. It allows little kids to express themselves and build their self-worthy by making them feel good about themselves. It also allows them to explore many ideas with fewer to no restrictions which makes it more fun and enjoyable. Role playing and imaginative play are important in skills development. It also allows children to see things in different perspectives and helps them develop a strong problem-solving skill in dealing with problems. Dads are just as important as moms when it comes to parenting then little boys and girls should have access to and be allowed to play with dolls.
Playing with dolls provides an fun opportunity for little boys to act out scenarios and practice becoming nurturing fathers. It also teaches them to become more responsible and makes them open-minded as they grow older. Restricting kids to play toys based on their gender is such an outdated view. As parents, we want the best for our children and we should support them. This is innocent play and should be left alone.
If your little boy wants to play with dolls then encourage his nurturing side by allowing him to play with one. Most kids emulate what they observe their parents are doing and your little boy will take care of his baby doll just like how you take care of him. In fact, it is being encouraged by many child experts because of the developmental benefits of playing with dolls.
The Perfect Toy Dolls are now seen as gender-neutral toys which means that both girls and boys can play with them.
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