Reasons why both boys and girls should play with dolls | The Times of India (2024)

FAQs

Why boys should be allowed to play dolls? ›

Playing With Dolls Allows for Language Development Opportunities. Children are sponges and they learn through observation. A little boy sees his parents helping to feed him, bathe him, get him dressed, so it is natural that this would come out through pretend play. A doll is a great way to practice what he sees.

In conclusion, doll play offers a host of benefits for children's development, including social and emotional skills, imagination, and creativity. By providing children with opportunities for imaginative play, socialization, and emotional expression, dolls can help support their overall well-being and development.

Psychologists and educators who study doll play say dolls are among the most important toys of childhood. Having a lot of dolls is like having a lot of friends and relatives," explains psychologist Allana Elovson, who specializes in early socialization for girls and boys. "Girls don't even think of them as dolls.

These differences are not primarily determined by hormones or genetics. Instead, they are largely a product of societal conditioning. It's the way parents, schools, and broader society interact with them, coupled with the influence of the media.

Toys are toys. Both girls and boys can play with dolls.

Boys are often interested in the toys stereotypically labeled as “girl's toys” because they often have more colors and shapes (and usability, sometimes) than the toys stereotypically labeled “boy's toys”. Here's a real life example: my second cousin had and played with more Barbies than me. He is a straight man.

Experts agree that doll play is as helpful for boys, as it is for girls as they too need to develop the same emotional skills as girls and often are deprived of that sort of emotional exploration. Boys can benefit from self-expression facilitated by doll play especially with more diverse representation among dolls.

When children create imaginary worlds and role play with dolls like Barbie, it prompts them to talk about thoughts about others' emotions and feelings. This can have positive long-lasting effects on children, building social and emotional processing social skills like empathy.

Toys like dolls, prams and pushchairs can help youngsters develop social, emotional, and verbal skills (and many other skills) while also allowing them to use their imaginations. The sky really is the limit when it comes to playtime.

The hormones they experience in utero may play a part, experts believe. They have noticed, for example, that from birth, girls show more interest in people and faces than boys do. This might explain girls playing with dolls and teddies, and boys with trucks or trains.

Why do boys and girls play differently? ›

Professor Baron-Cohen proposes that 'male' and 'female' brains are wired differently, with 'female' brains being more predisposed to empathy (making them more sensitive to others – and therefore less likely to crash into them!) and 'male' brains being wired for are the main influences on toddlers' colour choice.

A boy can play with dolls if he wants to. Dolls are made for children to play with, despite sex or gender.

Researchers like Wallen argue that boys prefer trucks because of the way their minds work. Specifically, their minds rotate in a way that a girl's brain doesn't, which is why they prefer toys that rotate, like trucks or balls.

Because dollhouse play can be so beneficial for developing empathy and social skills, consider providing similar toys that match your little boy's interests like the Hometown Heroes Play Set.