AIBU to think that dolls shouldn't just be for girls?

I had my children, all girls, in the 70s and always bought trucks, trains, Lego etc so they wouldn't miss out by having no brothers' toys to play with. One daughter never touched a doll and fell in love with computers, another adored her dolls and soft toys.
This was before Disney and Barbie painted the world pink for girls. My red-heads were never dressed in pink or red.

I got a very nice tea set in Ikea for a friends little girl yesterday and a cookery set for DGS, the tea set is in all different colours, they will have great fun together him cooking and her eating.

And I had a fringed waistcoat to go with the cowboy hat.

And those hobby horses made out of old socks - brilliant!
Dad also made me stilts, my friends and I used to walk around on them all the time!

You've just reminded me, merlot - I had a bow and arrows (homemade by Granddad) when I was about 6 or 7!

Oh I loved my cowboy outfit and the gun with the caps and the wig-wam I made in the garden where my poor dad was trying to grow runner beans. I also had a hobby horse made out of a broom handle with an old grey sock stuffed with straw for the head.

I was given a 'Patsy Doll' which you could feed but it had a horrible smell - probably all that stale milk.

I bought DS a Tiny Timmy and a pushchair when he was one, because he loved his big sister's dolls. Don't they do them anymore? It was a boy version of tiny Tears.

Good heavens, I must have bought him just in time!

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TONKA-KENNER-PARKER-TIMMY-TEARS-1993-TINY-TEARS-BROTHER-/141493398657?pt=UK_Doll_Bears_Dolls_EH&hash=item20f1a9ec81

DS was born in 1995, the doll must have been discontinued straight afterwards. He was even advertised as being 'anatomically correct'. Tiny Timmy led a very adventurous life, not at all girly. It was very funny to watch over the years. How sad that you can't find one. Maybe buy a doll and give it a short haircut!

This rag doll boy is rather nice

https://www.fruugo.co.uk/harry/p-1791692-4165435?gclid=CLS-qI_4qsICFYvItAodYhYA3g

I liked my pistol that used caps, and the cowboy hat.

And the chemistry set, the robot, but also my dolls and teddies.

My mother thought Action Man was a brilliant idea because it gave boys a doll that they could play with . Not that she had much experience with dolls - my favourite toys were guns and my train set!

try again www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/22/gendered-toys-stereotypes-boy-girl-segregation-equality

I remember being most put out when I was about 7 or 8 because my DM gave my brothers' Hornby train set to my male cousin. She was surprised when I said that I would have liked to have played with it.

The toy world seems more gender specific now than it ever was. Lego seems designed for girls or boys, Disney princesses everywhere and quite aggressive toys for boys!

I see no reason why boys shouldn't play with dolls and doll buggies. Most parents would think it quite reasonable for girls to play with male-oriented toys but some parents (perhaps mainly fathers) feel uncomfortable if boys want to play with female-oriented toys.

[http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/apr/22/gendered-toys-stereotypes-boy-girl-segregation-equality]]

DS had a doll which he played with now and again. He was really a soft toy man rather than a doll one though, and breastfed his teddy when his little sister was born.

My 4-year-old great-grandson asked for a Barbie. He'd seen the DVD's of Barbie and her friends and decided he would like to have one of his own so my granddaughter bought him one. He's played with it along with his Batman and Spiderman and all his 'little-boy' toys. No comment has been made about Barbie being only for little girls and Barbie has been stuck in digger lorries along with Batman etc.

I wanted to buy my gs a teaset because he loves to play make believe but all John Lewis could offer was very pretty pink ones. I have to say the male assistant agreed with me that it was odd.

My sons all had dolls and a baby buggy and 2 of them have turned into excellent fathers and the other is a good uncle.

I loved playing electric trains when I was a child.

It wasnt so much the doll but the packaging that annoyed me the most - pink with a girly girl on the front and only girls mentioned in the blurb on the back

I agree that some parents might baulk at their son being given a doll, but luckily my DD is very open minded.

My DS' girls enjoy cars even though they are girly girls.

Nothing to do with me, btw, I just came across them on FB and think it's a great idea.

Check out Umedoll. Children's drawings made into dolls. Completely gender neutral and great fun.

I wouldn't have thought to buy my son a doll or buggy when he was little, but because our 2 daughters [slightly older than him] used to push dolls about, he took the wooden bricks out of the wooden 'cart' and put a battered pink panda in it, and pushed that about proudly, and all 3 of them went off happily into the garden pushing their offspring.He also liked the dolls tea set come to think of it.6 ft tall rugger player now and would be embarrassed to be reminded of all that! So, no I don't think toys need to be branded as for boys or girls really.If he hadn't had sisters but maybe a brother, no doubt he wouldn't have hankered for anything like dolls, and would have wanted their cars and trains.I don't think parents should worry about what they like to play with when young.

I could not imagine my G/S playing with dollies, just seems an alien concept.Just would not happen , they would not be the least bit interested.

But then what do I know ?

I think that most people have got past the idea of girls' toys/boys' toys but for some reason advertisers and toy makers haven't. My 2 year old DGD loves her dolly and soft toys but has wild times playing with the train set which used to be her big brothers. There are many crashes and lots of the engines need fixing or so she says. We shouldn't limit a child's development by denying them access to any toys because of their gender.

DD bought our youngest DGS a doll when he was two, because he always wanted to bring home the one from mother and toddler group. It came with a bottle (now lost) which he loved to 'feed' to baby.

I hate boys/girls toys, but if you want a baby boy ELC used to do the baby doll in both genders.

I bought my GS a doll's buggy when he was nearly 2 as he always wanted the one another child had. It cost £1.50 in a market in Beijing and he had a choice of colour - either pink or very bright pink. He chose the former and pushed 'Blue Ted', a ball or car around in it until the wheels dropped off. No doubt I shall be back to the market to get another for his little brother on my next trip.

No, not all little boys have a doll's pram or play with dolls. A lot of fathers still get very uncomfortable about the idea...(probably some mothers, too!).

DS used to like Action Man. He and DD used to play 'Sindies and Action Men'

One of the advantages of different-sex siblings is that they have a choice of toys to play with. vq I think toys have become more gender-orientated since my DC were small. Even Lego comes in pink for girls these days!

Don't all little boys have a doll's buggy? I bought one for my only grandson and he got a dolly when his baby sister was born.
He threw out the dolly and put a bus in it. I think he's destined to be an engineer, after his fascination with my rotary whisk, but he'll be a good parent because his daddy is.