I have a boy who plays with dolls. Not just sometimes when he visits a girl friend's house, or at school in the drama centre. I have a five year-old boy with a full nursery in his room, complete with a highchair, crib, stroller, and all the accessories. I've lost count of the number of 'babies' that he has, all tucked in with him in his bed at night.
This boy also plays Star Wars and hockey and likes to wrestle with Dad. But he's got a nurturing, maternal side to him which extends to the babies and stuffies and any kind of small object or pet (including our guinea pigs).
I think it's cute and I'm nonplussed about the whole thing, for the most part. I do try to find the odd blue stroller or doll item that isn't covered in pink, but when he is given the choice to choose a boy or girl doll, he chooses the girl every time. Maybe he's trying to balance out our family!
I'm not necessarily amazed by his nurturing spirit. I'm not worried he won't be seen as masculine. What I am incredibly impressed by is how accepting other children are.
I know I'm not alone with doll-loving boy, but most five year-old boys don't push a doll to school pick up on the off-Kindie days. Mine does. He gets a few looks, but I've never heard a word of criticism, teasing, or negative comment about it.
Most of his little boy friends want to play with the doll too. So it goes down the slide and on the swing, and they take turns racing the stroller around.
Even his brother, who is after all, a brother—and the most boy's boy you can imagine—hasn't batted an eye. It's just what his little brother plays with, and everyone seems cool with that.
I think that's pretty neat. I expected by now, two years in to the doll craze, I'd have to start explain why kids are cruel or why someone might tease him. I haven't had to. When he has playdates he and his friends they sometimes play dolls, or they sometimes play Lego. They are just universally accepting of whatever their friends are 'into' and leave it at that.
Funny how it's not the case with adults.
I've been in a number of toy store lines, getting the stinkeye from moms or dads, when my progeny is purchasing yet another item for his nursery. I even had a lady once tell me that her husband 'would never allow that', as I was purchasing my son's Christmas present (yes, another doll).
Young kids are pretty simple little creatures. They like what they like, and they pretty much take their friends at face value. I know things will change, and there will be difficult conversations, and not everyone will always be nice to my little boy who loves dolls.
But for now, I'll watch him push his baby on the swing, tear around with a stroller, and give his boy friends a 'turn' with the baby. And get a tiny glimpse of what that little boy may be one day, when he becomes a daddy himself.
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