Girls can play with cars and trucks but boys can't have a doll? That is just silly

If an 8 year old boy wants a Barbie, I'd buy it. If I was concerned, maybe I'd buy the male Barbie (Ken). But I would get him the dressed up Barbie in a prom gown if that was really what he wanted. It isn't like dolls cause some kind of mixed up sexuality issue - men sometimes think this. But boys can be caregivers and play with pink dolls too. Just like my daughter can ride her dirtbike and play with boy toys.

FYI, my daughter is 8. We went to McDonald's for a treat last night. She got a happy meal. Over the loud speaker, we were asked if she were a boy or a girl (for the toy). She looks at me and says, "Boy!" So we got the boy toy. She doesn't happen to ever like the girl toys.

I was going to follow this by asking if ppl believe buying girl toys for a boy would make them gay... i just didn't want to start a debate.

Not that i think that.

I was more concerned that it would just be another reason for kids to tease them.

Thanks Ingi, i appreciate the response

Kids usually won't play with their doll in front of other kids. Like a boy won't bring out his doll if his buddies are around, type of thing. The older they get, the more they'll keep that hidden. Especially if they've been teased about it by other kids.

Until then though, I personally don't see anything wrong with letting either sex have toys from the opposite sex. I don't think pink makes boys gay either I know a lot of boys who want to paint their finger nails and try their mom's make up on. Just because they want to try it, doesn't mean they've made their life choice on whether to be gay or not. They are interested in it because their mom spends so much time doing it, you know?

i wouldnt just because i dont think its appropriate. My mom insisted i get jacob a doll for christmas, which i conceded.. he treated it like he treats his sister- fed it, bathed it, talked to it.. beat it up lol.

i just would rather my kids identify with the right sides.. i wouldnt want Caitlyn playing with trucks just like i dont want jacob playing with dolls. not because i think it will make them gay, thats not my concern at all.. i just dont deem it appropriate.

I don't see anything wrong with it. I agree with Ingi, he probably won't play with it in front of his friends anyway. Boys play with dolls. GI Joe and wrestling figures. Raggedy Andy is technically a boy doll.

I don't think it would make him gay. I don't believe the toys you play with or the colors you wear make you something. If it's meant to be that is how it is.

I think it's a shame that boy toys and girl toys have to be classified by masculine or femine. I can say for certain if my son asked me for a kitchenette and a broom I'd buy it for him, and yeah if he wanted a doll he'd have it. If I told him "no that's a girl toy" I'd be afraid of making him feel bad for wanting one.

What does your husband say about it?

Well my husband LOVES the fact that my daughter has a dirtbike. They ride dirtbikes together. OMG, she is so cute on that thing! She is starting to work on tricks on it. Scares me to death.

If I would have known we could have signed her up for football, she would be in football right now. But I thought it was boys only. She really wanted to play. I should have looked into it more.

She also rides a skateboard, plays soccer, plays basketball and all the other things you'd 'expect' boys to do. She climbs trees and spits - she does all that while wearing her hair up in pony tails and her finger nails painted HOT PINK!

She totally rocks.

Well, he says he doesn't think it'll "make him gay", but in his words "I don't want him twiddling with the plastic breasts. He's a perv already."

I think that secretly he does think it'll make him gay.

I'm actually talking about Jordan. He's five.

I think this is a common reaction of men to think that.

We went through a spell where my son was a little bit girly and my husband was concerned that he may be slightly feminine. But, after watching the kid down the road (who is totally gay and he is only 9 and you can just tell!), I don't think this is so much a life choice as it is who they are on the inside. -- I don't want to debate that statement. --

I absolutely believe that majority of men do think that way.

and, I agree with your last statement

i work in a toyshop and one of my biggest peeves is when a parent doesn't buy their son a toy they want just because it's "girly". oh, and you never hear a word when a little girl wants a truck or thomas the train stuff!

this little boy (maybe 6?) wanted a polly pocket soooo bad, his aunt said he could pick out a toy and that's what he chose. she then spent 20 minutes offering him other things like trucks and dinos, and all he wanted was that damn polly pocket. i felt so bad for him because i don't think he got why she wouldn't buy it for him and it was quite obvious that he really wanted it, he was practically in tears. she didn't buy it for him.

i don't get why there have to be separate toys for boys and girls. little boys grow up to be fathers, why can't they play with dolls? little boys grow up to cook, why can't they have a play kitchen?

i'll let finn (and future kids) play whatever they want. toys have no influence on sexuality.

i'm getting finn a baby doll before the new baby comes and he's getting a kitchen for his birthday. if he wants a polly pocket when he's 5, i'll gladly buy it for him.

That is so smart to get him his own baby so he can be the daddy.

liam loves baby dolls, he plays with macy and kiras. he also likes his toes painted. I dont see ne thing wrong with it, my step brother use to play babies and kitchen and all that with me and if ne thing itll just make them better fathers. now i dont think id buy him a barbie just cuz my little brother use to undress them just to look at them and even tho its normal to be curious its a little weird

If I had a son I'd definately get him dolls or whatever he wanted. I have enough gay friends to know that toys & silly things like that are not what makes them gay. Of couse I know Shane would see a completely different side of it, I know he wouldn't want his little boy playing with a barbie. But like B said, you never hear anything bad when a girl wants a truck or dirt bike.

I couldn't care less. A toy is a toy. My nephew plays forhours with doll, babies etc and her pretends to do my hair for me, he sits behind me and brushed it and put hair ties and clips in it and then tells me i'm beautiful

lol i guess im all alone in this.

Ah well.

i would buy liam boy barbies, my sister has one that looks like daddy and he was carrying it around calling it daddy

I would definitely buy my son a barbie if that's what he wanted. My daughter loves to play with trucks, as do many little girls I've seen. So in my eyes, why is it ok for girls to play with trucks but it's not ok for boys to play dolls?

The boy I grew up with never played with dolls, even tho he had a sister.....but he always played sports with us and the rest of the neighborhood kids, and he is gay.

Constricting a child to gender roles imposed by western society can be very destructive and is just plain ignorant and primitive. You are forcing children into the cookie cutter roles of society, mr macho-man-no-cry, and little miss house wife.

My kids will never be confined by the western words idea of what their role according to their sex is, no way, my kids can do anything! Be anything, reach any goal. A penis or vagina won't be constricting them to some people's narrow idea of what it means to be "female" and "male". "Sex" is what we're born with, "gender" is what society has imposed on us. I will not let my children believe they have to conform to a role imposed by a ignorant society.

Let boys play with dolls, let girls play with trucks, break gender limitations or we'll never have true equality between the sexes.

Very well said!