Would you let your son have a Barbie if they wanted one?

no barbie doll for my son.. i'm taking MIL's side on this one

100% boys should be allowed to play with dolls. They are just toys! It supports emotional development and prepares them for future caregiving roles (older sibling, father etc).

My son loves his Anna (from frozen) doll just as much as his spiderman doll. He loves to paint his nails with his sister as much as he likes to dig in the dirt. He likes bracelets and necklaces to go with his toy story outfit and bruised face from trying to be a ninja on the couch. Just let kids play and explore themselves and the world without gendered bs.

When I was little I had a full blown Spider-Man bedroom. There’s a picture of me sat on my bed with my Spider-Man bedding and curtains in the background with my blue/red walls and it’s one of my favourite memories having my room like that. I grew up loving Spider-Man and I still do and I’m 27 now and I’m a girl. So what? Let them be kids.
Also when we go over to my brother’s house he has 2 little girls. They have unlimited ‘girls’ toys including the Barbie dream house in the front room and my son loves playing with it, it’s literally just a toy🤣

It’s literally fine, it’s just a toy! Older gen has so much to say abt it but they grow out of it! I’m not getting dirty and playing with cars like i used to! (Was a tomboy). My nephew isn’t wearing heels around the house and dressing in my dresses like he used to. It’s just toys and stuff, they don’t see boy or girl toys unless you specifically tell them there are and that it’s “wrong”. Hell even if they don’t grow out of it so fucking what 🤷🏻‍♀️

inform us why you don’t think boys should have Barbies.

(May seem a bit off topic but not really bc I read some of these comments n I’m disgusted that some of these women are mothers tbh….) Look let ur kid have whatever toy they want it’s a toy lmao if people think that’s gonna cause him to grow up gay or sum so what? If he were to be gay when he’s a grown man and can make those decisions truly on his own u as a parent should always still love him.. I had gay best friends who was a male, he is gay and his father and him had a longgggg hated relationship between each other most of his life bc his father is homophobic my friends dad is on his death bed now to say the least and they are miserably building a half ahh bond as fast as they can so it’s a peaceful passing for his father and him as the child to be able to move on.. imagine the amounts of trauma inflicted on my friend (and it was truly a lot…) never the less if u are a parent but u can’t love ur kid for every unique thing they may indulge in or decide to be then what are u really

But to u mom! Do what tf u want girl u Carried that baby! If he wants a damn Barbie I’d say give it to him! They even have Ken Barbie’s soooo!!!

My son eldest is 5 and has multiple baby dolls and Barbie type dolls he loves playing with. He also has countless superhero toys, and plays ninjas or spies or superheroes basically every day. If they want a doll let them have one

If they asked me first, then fair enough but I wouldn’t ask my sons if they wanted one before they asked me personally.

It’s your choice though not your mil.

What exactly is the issue here to the 26 percent that said no?!?

I've brought my boys dolls. Theirs nothing wrong with it. I had cars and trucks when I was a kid as I wasn't interested in dolls

I don’t understand why people take children’s toys so seriously

I grew up playing with cars and monster trucks. I also dressed like a boy for most of my childhood and really hated dresses/skirts.

Not sure what I’m supposed to be confused about though - anyone care to enlighten me? ☺️

My daughter plays with a wide variety of toys including dolls, dinosaurs, stuffed animals, and monster trucks/cars. I don't feel that toys or interests should be gender specific. If they like something then they like something. Sometimes it's a phase and then sometimes it's something they really align with and it makes them feel happy for one reason or another. I can assure people it isn't sinister in nature. 😅

My son plays with Barbies at school I've been told so I wanna get him some for home. I like them to play with dolls because we are trying to teach them to be gentle with smaller people like babies.

I had a cousin, a girl cousin well I have one lmao she's not dead, she always wanted to be a male figure in the games we played as kids. She's still a girl. Turns out she just really loved her dad.
I went fishing and did a lot of "boy stuff" with my dad and I am a girl still. Nothing confusing here.

My ex came out as transgender and grew up with a family that really forced masculinity in men to the point my kids grandpa felt he couldn't be too affectionate to his own kids and regrets it.

A toy won't make a kid trans or gay. Just like tv doesn't make your kid autistic. They.already.were.

I would let him, he pushes around a doll pram at baby groups and I do not care, if a Mum ever said anything then she's in for a rude awakening. I am not going to be a toy Nazi like some parents and take it away from him. I had toy guns instead of barbies growing up big whoop. Find something else to clutch your pearls about

My husbands grandparents gifted our 6 month old daughter a Barbie doll a few months ago and just the other day I caught my 3 year old pulling the dolls clothing off and and trying to breastfeed from its plastic boobs. 😅 we have our boys stick to hot wheels.

Wow no wonder so many little boys grow up to be bad partners and dads. If you won’t let your son play with a doll, you suck as a parent.

When i taught 1 and 2 year olds, pretend play (pretend kitchen, dress up, baby dolls) was discouraged to boys and they were usually sent to blocks or cars by leads. I dont even think most of my lead teachers realized they were doing it.

I would usually be assigned to more closely monitor children who were known for outbursts, biting, hitting, destroying other students work, etc. Most were boys. I took a training class for emotional regulation in young children and they encouraged more art and pretend play.
I tried it and pretty soon after, my kiddos social skills, emotional regulation, confidence, even language skills just exploded!

It doesnt confuse boys to play with dolls, it gives them a new way of practicing how to treat others and practice social skills, imagination, empathy, and communication.

Raising men who can verbalize and regulate their emotions, show empathy and compassion are a gift to the future women and children of the world.

Your mil is wrong.
A question for all the people who picked “no.” If we let girls play with toys made for boys and don’t let boys play with toys made for girls, doesnt that make the toys made for girls look inferior? Doesnt that make girls look inferior? do you believe feminine things are inferior to masculine things?

My son loved Moana as a baby. He had all the dolls

I'd love someone to explain to me why telling a boy who wants a doll "no, that's a girl's toy" is less likely to make them confused about their gender than letting them play with whatever they want. You're literally telling them that they want a toy that's for the 'wrong gender'.

It's things like toy kitchens too? Should boys not aspire to be good fathers and partners who contribute to the household and are caring, rather than just wanting to drive cars about and smash things? Ridiculous

Dolls help build a child’s empathy, I’d go as far as to say a good mom would get her son a doll of some sort even if he doesn’t ask.

It’s important to push back on gender norms that have led to a generational epidemic of lonely inept men that view parenting and basic household duties as gendered and are now suffering because of it. (Or causing suffering to the women and children in their lives) Those type of changes start from childhood

No my son plays with dinosaurs, train, trucks and cars. 🥰

No, even though my son never asked for a Barbie doll, he always played with cars and action figures. If he did the answer will be No.

I would not go out of my way to ask my son if he wants me to buy him a girl toy. If he runs into one and plays with it, no problem.

Yeah if my son wants a Barbie he can have a Barbie. It’s just a toy. It won’t hurt him.

what is a boy toy v a girl toy? What are you afraid will happen? Is your fear that your son will learn that it’s ok to have emotions, explore his personality, and learn to one day be a loving partner and father? Or is it that you’re homophobic?

I didn’t grow up with Barbie’s so I probably wouldn’t. Not to say I wouldn’t let him play with dolls, he can play with dolls. I just have a bone to pick with Barbie’s and unrealistic body standards and their vain-ness. He wouldn’t want to play with something just cause it’s pretty and want to style it etc. He would want to play just to play. And also Barbie’s are tall and wouldn’t fit with his toys he has now. I could see short little dolls being fun if he wanted. Boy and girl ones with modest options cause he dresses like boys do, and it just makes sense to mirror that in his toys. I wouldn’t stop him at a friends house with Barbie’s, but to buy his own, we would find a better option. In fact, we already did this somewhat to get him ready for his baby brother, we bought him a plush doll that was simple cause goodness some of the baby-like toys out there… sometimes the point is functional diverse playtime, not constant model cat-walk 😂🤷🏽‍♀️

I usually don’t ask my kids if they “want one” of anything because they love receiving things and they’ll always say Yes hahaha but if they see something in the shop and ask me to get it for them, I will. Even if it’s a Barbie idc. Both of my boys have a little baby doll who they’ve each named, they bottle feed her, they take her to bed, and everywhere they go she goes. It’s adorable.

NO.

I'd absolutely let my son have a Barbie if he wants one. He's only 16 months currently but I've just bought him his first baby doll and pram. He loves pushing his baby around the house. I had a few relatives question it with him being a boy. But in my eyes it just encourages roleplaying, imagination, creativity, empathy, and all of the most positive childhood experiences. I don't understand the whole stigma behind boys/girls only being able to play with "boy/girl toys" especially when it comes to the likes of dolls.. chances are that the little boys will grow up to push around a real baby in a real pram and change a real nappy, etc, so why is that gender specific at a young age?

Denying boys certain toys because they are "for girls" is just laying misogynistic foundations 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
No you can't have a doll cos babies and dollies are for girls, cos women look after babies not men.
No you can't have a play kitchen cos only girls like to bake and cook,
No you can't have a toy vacuum because cleaning isn't manly
Etc the list could go on I am sure.

It's not for me. I am 28 weeks pregnant and I think I might get my son his own little baby doll for when his sibling arrives. Kids love to mimic us and I'd be proud to have a son who wants to look after his own pretend baby.

My son loved playing with the Barbie’s when I was a nanny to all girls. He also loved playing house