My son suddenly latched onto a baby doll yesterday. We’ve had some sort of doll around the room for him to play with since he was a little baby, but for some reason, this little thing was just what he wanted yesterday. He dressed her, he kissed her, he rocked her and patted her. He dragged her around by the neck and forgot about her. And when it came time for bed, he tucked her into his bed and then exclaimed, “Oh, I forgot her milk!” and ran all the way downstairs to fetch a thoroughly pretend bottle of milk (we don’t have any play bottles of milk, you see).

She sat in his lap while we read stories, and he made her laugh.

So nice to see. I don’t know any men who would cringe at the thought of a boy playing with a doll, not at this young age. I’m glad to see that stereotype has changed. My only thought for the evening is to provide a wide range of toys to encourage a young child’s imagination, and not limit yourself or the little one by too much of one ‘type’ of toy or another.

Tonight, I’m going to sew snaps on the little baby carrier that came with the doll, since the velcro just doesn’t cut it. He wants to be able to wear the baby like his mama wore him, like all his mama friends do. I think he’ll make a fine papa when his time comes. Just please, don’t let it come too soon.

At play, boys, dolls, gender bias, gender specific toys, girls, mom, motherhood, Mothering, mothers, trucks