What do you think of parents who don't allow their children to own toys that are generally made for the opposite gender?

I could care less, if you dont want your son playing with dolls dont let him, if you dont mind it, buy him some barbies, a barbie convertable, and a barbie dream house if you want, it’s your kid. I dont think i’d let my son play with dolls, but if other people dont mind their son playing with them then cool.

I agree with colleen

I think the parents are too concerned with their child “turning homosexual”, being different, and they don’t want to be embarrassed when someone finds out their child doesn’t play with normal toys.

They should be more concerned about letting their child be happy, be themselves, and be different if they want to.

I totally agree with Colleen and Angelee.

Now that I’ve pondered it a little bit, why the hell not? I mean, GIJoe needs a hot date and hey, if they end up liking eachother you can buy your son a Kelly doll and they can all be a family. Now that I think of it, that’d be so cute for a little boy to enjoy playing house. :3

I think they raise kids who tend to be very fixed in their beliefs of gender roles. Now, if the kid grows up and is heterosexual, feels they’re in the right body, finds a partner who also believes in fixed gender roles, well, whatever. It’s not exactly going to hurt. If the kid grows up to not fitting within this mold, I think the kid is in for a world of pain. The problem is, you don’t really know whether your kid will turn out to fit into these gender norms, so you are taking a risk.

My mother and I were talking about this today. I see nothing wrong with boys playing with dolls when they’re young (5 and younger) but when they get older, I think it’s ridiculous. My grandmother just bought my 9 year old male cousin a baby doll. Everyone’s talking about how he’s too old for that. I agree. He’s a boy, he needs cars, trucks, and trains, not a frickin baby doll.

I don’t think id let my son play with a polly pocket….just let him play with stuff that isn’t too gay. whatever makes him happy,but he most certainly will not play with dolls lmaooo.

He needs cars and trucks? To do what? Grow up to be a ‘real’ man?

To know that he’s a BOY. He needs BOY toys.

In general parents only worry about boys playing with traditionally girl toys. Parents are far more accepting of girls playing with traditionally boy toys and many parents proudly proclaim their girls to be Tom boys. Parents don’t like boys to seem effeminate and consider this a source of embarrassment and shame.

Our society thinks of womanhood as something that just happens to girls while manhood is something boys have to achieve. Nobody tells girl to be a woman but they often tell boys to be a man. Parents think boys have to be “toughened up” in order to be a man and might see keeping boys from playing with dolls and kitchen sets as the sort of tough love necessary to make them men.

Im sure he knows he is a boy, regardless of what toys he plays with. Boys didnt get confused about this before cars and trucks existed.

He’s a boy, therefore he needs to play with boy toys, imo.

I agree with Danielle…what about back when there were no toys, and kids had to use their imagination…they didn’t get confused about their sex then? They still turned out fine, and grew up to be ‘manly’.

I think its silly. Allowing a boy to play with dolls, or wear pink clothes etc is not going to change someones sexual orientation or gender identity. Also, many transgender people say they had the kind of parents who would only let them play with supposed gender appropriate toys anyway.

Who is to say what ‘boy toys’ are? Why can’t a barbie doll be a boys toy, or a kitchen set?

exactly. Because their hormones have been telling them they are males since they came into existance.

I think it’s ridiculous. I personally wouldn’t give a crap what kind of toys my child played with as long as he or she was happy.

Boys shouldn’t play with dolls. >.> Like I said, it’s my opinion. You have your opinion, I have mine. I’m done arguing.

Didnt actually realise this was an arguement…

I wasn’t arguing…I was stating my opinion as well.

It would be nice if people were able to back up their opinions with any sort of logical reasoning. But that’s expecting way too much. And no one was arguing. If you don’t like your opinions challenged, a public forum is the last place you should be stating them.

Uhm, okay…

Agreed!

I agree Ty…

“just let him play with stuff that isn’t too gay”…I don’t see how it’s “gay” at all.

Okay… I’m the kinda person who so doesn not judge and hates seeing kids cry and my opition 4 this question is so different with what I believe in. But…

I honestly so wuldnt buy my babyboy a barbie or doll.. I think that wuld turn him very girly and I wuld have been the 1 to make him that way. Buttt ! If he takes like his sisters dolls or cuzins or wat ever, I rlly wuldnt take it away bcuz then that is his choice and his perference.

I don’t see the problem…my son (age 2) has dolls and loves them just as much as his trucks and dinos. At first my husband was like why does he need a doll? I explained to him that it teaches him how to love something and take care of something. I went on telling him that this doll will one day make him a loving and caring father. My husband hasn’t had a problem with it since. Our son is a very loving child, don’t get me wrong he is still a boy and can get very rough! To be honest the kids don’t know “boy” toys, colors ect. from “girl” toys, colors ect.

100% agree with Angelee