Dude, what are you doing? You can't give your son a baby doll. That's a girl's toy!

[WilliamPitt]

[Brickbat]

1. .

Edit to add the lyrics:

When my friend William was five years old
He wanted a doll, to hug and hold
"A doll," said William, "is what I need
To wash and clean, and dress and feed

"A Doll to give a bottle to
And put to bed when day is through
And any time my doll gets ill
I'll take good care of it," said my friend Bill

A doll, a doll, William wants a doll
Don't be a sissy said his best friend Ed
Why should a boy want to play with a doll
Dolls are for girls said his cousin Fred
Don't be a jerk, said his older brother
"I know what to do," said his father to his mother

So his father bought him a basketball
A badminton set, and that's not all
A bag of marbles, a baseball glove
And all the things a boy would love

And Bill was good at every game
Enjoyed them all, but all the same
When Billy's father praised his skill
"Can I please have a doll now," said my friend Bill

A doll, a doll, William wants a doll
A doll, a doll, William wants a doll

Then William's grandma arrived one day
And wanted to know what he liked to play
And Bill said, "Baseball's my favorite game
I like to play, but all the same

"I'd give my bat and ball and glove
To have a doll that I could love"
"How very wise," his grandma said
Said Bill, "but everyone says this instead"

A doll, a doll, William wants a doll
A doll, a doll, William wants a doll

So William's grandma, as I've been told
Bought William a doll, to hug and hold
And William's father began to frown
But grandma smiled, and calmed him down

Explaining, William wants a doll
So when he has a baby someday
He'll know how to dress it, put diapers on double
And gently caress it to bring up a bubble
And care for his baby as every good father
Should learn to do

William has a doll, William has a doll
'Cause someday he is gonna be a father, too

[riverbendviewgal]

4. this brought back memories

We had this album.

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. I still have the book and album

[Skidmore]

2. Chuckling because I have a grandson who

would combine parts of the fairy princess costume with superhero garb and carry his doll around ready to protect it with lightsaber and holstered magic wand. His little sister, until she decided she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up, used to tell everyone she wanted to be a daddy when she is a big person.

[riverbendviewgal]

3. my son had a Mattel Biffy Bean Boy Doll

He played and slept with it until he went on to have his own GI Joe doll. He grew up to be a guys guy, who loved to watch and play sports. All the girls loved him. He was a caring and loving young man who wanted to have a bunch of kids. Sadly he died of a brain tumour at 26 the year he was to marry a wonderful young woman.

I remember all his little boy playmates played with dolls while young.Thankfully they all had enlightenment parents who did not keep their sons from learning nurturing.

[sufrommich]

5. My sympathies to you,I can't imagine a greater

grief than losing a child,it sounds like he would have been a great father. My son wanted an Easy Bake oven when he was a child,got it and loved it. He still loves to cook and does the majority of cooking at his house.

[riverbendviewgal]

7. It is great you nutured your son in his cooking talent

I found that observing our children and giving them activities and things that encourage them in their talents and interests gives them a happy path. My son loved art, music , sports, nature, cooking . He loved his pets and he had a special concern for the homeless.
His brother loved science, computers, reading and nature, cooking. They were close so that they each experienced each others interests. The older one still has his teddy bear he had as a baby. He is now 44 and a great stepfather.

I always believed toys and books were learning tools and bought the ones that gave a learning experience as well as fun.

A great book, out of print, is HOW TO PARENT by Dr. Fitzburgh Dodson. It not only had chapters on the child's psychological growth but listed books, music, toys, to buy and make. It described a four old as a little guy who gets on his horse and rides off in four directions. He described by little guy and it was very helpful in the later stages.

Yes, losing a child is a very great loss but memories of good times help the pain. My late son could make laugh at anything. He would have bee 41 this year. I miss him every day.

[malaise]

10. That must have been painful

[kdmorris]

19. I'm so sorry, RBVG

I cannot imagine a pain more awful than losing a child. How long ago did he die?

[riverbendviewgal]

25. more than 14 years ago

Born in 1973 , died in 1999. Glioblastma multiform brain tumour, same as ted kennedy died of. I am a big advocate for the USA to get their ACA. It burns me when the republicans urge the young people NOT to get health insurance. He was engaged 4 months when had seizures ar work. No headaches or illnesses to warn him before he got these seizures he never had before. 3 days later he was getting his first of 3 brain operations. I am thankful that being Canadian there was not fighting for treatments with insurance companies. And there was no medical bills to bankrupt us.

I only wish your ACA would be as good.

Treasure you children, encourage their interests and talents. Teach them to care for all people and to share.

[Shrike47]

6. Nurturing is a wonderful thing, in a child of either sex.

My spouse is a nurturer, thank god, or I'd be in a world of hurt.

[Atman]

8. We gave our son a Fischer Price kitchen.

He loved to help mom in the kitchen, so it seemed like a good Christmas present. Our fundy in-laws were with us that year and they were horrified! Absolutely mortified about the kitchen. "Aren't you worried about, you know..." Just like in the cartoon. We said, "What, he'll learn to cook?" The called us crazy liberals (so, we are!). We also gave home a big yellow Tonka dump truck. When he came downstairs in the morning his eyes lit up -- and he ran straight for the play kitchen first. It was his favorite toy for a long time. He liked the truck, too. Today he's happily married, has a daughter...and enjoys cooking. Go figure!

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. My son used to cook for me when I was working on appraisals in my basement office.

We set up his kitchen right behind my desk and he would happily boil, steam, and roast as I typed.

If I had a nickel for every "dog sandwich" (two slices of "bread" with a beanie baby beagle between) I ate in those years...

[Atman]

38. He also had a "My Buddy" doll.

It was an almost-lifesize doll. Actually kind of creepy, but he and his brother played with him all the time. Made me think of Chucky...but they didn't seem to mind.

[marble falls]

9. Don't give your son a doll, give him an action figure.

[WilliamPitt]

11. . . . . . . .

[marble falls]

12. Stewy and Brian need to be spun off. I love Stewy - in a manly way, of course.

[Dash87]

16. What's the difference? An action figure is a doll that's called an "action figure."

[marble falls]

17. Hmmmmm..... I wonder if that was my point?......

I make dolls and I collect them, especially 'ugly' dolls. My favorite doll is Fido Dido. I don't believe in gender appropriate toys.

[rtassi]

13. When my son was 4 At Christmas

he asked for a Barbie doll ... after pondering my reaction to that ... I said Ok, then I asked if there was anything else he might like ... he responded .. two barbie dolls ... He is 17 now and doing just fine ....

[niyad]

14. I love reminding people who say things like that that action figures are DOLLS. g.i. joe is a DOLL.

[riverbendviewgal]

20. there are different GI Joes

The early ones in the 70s were larger than the figures now. The early ones had arms, hand, legs and feet that moved and bent. The heads could be turned around. The dolls had fuzzy head and facial hair. And some talked when you pull a string. There were clothes to dress them from their naked bodies. Black spy seal outfits, pilot outfits, etc. They had tanks and jeeps to ride in. I had a lot of fun with my two sons playing with them.

They were also huge Star Wars fans and had all the action figures with the space stations and vehicles.
We were fans of the thunderbirds on tv, james bond and star wars and Indiana jones movies.

So dolls you can dress up and come in all sizes. Action figures have been pretty much, non dressable solid figures.

[redqueen]

22. Yes, action figures are not usually treated like baby dolls.

Kids don't usually play at nurturing them (dress them, feed them, burp them, sing to them, put them to bed, etc.)

Barbie is analogous to an action figure. A baby doll is not.

[riverbendviewgal]

30. I grew up before barbie dolls

I had tiny tears drink and wet doll, Ginny dolls to dress up in little girl clothes, and Revlon dolls (the pre Barbie) anyone rember FAB detergent dolls? My aunt collected them for me.

And I was still playing with dolls when I was 12. Now a days they are pretty grown up at that age.

This op took me down memory lanes.

[sufrommich]

34. I had to look up both Revlon and Fab dolls as

I've never heard of them. I love vintage dolls,collectors of said dolls have to have big bank accounts these days.

[NBachers]

39. I asked for a Tiny Tears doll when I was little. I liked the drink and wet gimmick.

For some reason, I didn't get one. I guess they were trying to steer me in the "right" direction.

[riverbendviewgal]

40. they still make drink and wet dolls

I used one of those dolls to toilet train my 25 month son in one and half hours. Read a book written by two doctors who figured out that if you can train mentally challenged young people with the method you can be even more successful with young one who have no mental disability. It sorked. TOILET TRAINING IN LESS THAN ONE DAY.

[Go Vols]

27. I had one of those GI Joes in the '60s

I think he died in a fire while strapped to a toy car with bottle rockets attached.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

31. I knew Joe well back then and I'm sure that's how he would have wanted to go.

[riverbendviewgal]

32. you had the originals

My sons had the 70s Adventure team.

[KittyWampus]

24. your post has me envisioning a young kid diapering GI Joe.

[riverbendviewgal]

26. that don't happen but

Little fingers need help putting his clothes. LoL. No, diapers but boxer shorts.

[Eleanors38]

41. On another note, a lady came into my favorite restaurant earlier

This year with her pretty 4-5 yr-old daughter. The little girl enjoyed playing with her very detailed, moving-parts model Marine tank. Mom was very pleasant, patient & encouraging. But I detected a little embarrassed wonderment.

[pipi_k]

15. Boys vs girls toys

When I was very young I coveted some of the toys my boy cousins had. One of them was a train set.

All I ever got were "girl" toys. Well, except for some gender-neutral toys like games and stuff, which I preferred to the dolls. Never cared much for dolls, and I would often mistreat them.

Fast forward a bunch of decades, and my grandson wanted one of those little kitchen set things when he was about 4 or 5. When my daughter went to buy one, her husband said absolutely NOT.

WTF. Some of the best cooks/chefs in the world are men.

My son does most of the cooking at his house.

I think kids should be encouraged in whatever activity they have interest in. Within reason, of course...I mean, I wouldn't want to encourage Evel Knievel stunts off the garage roof or anything... ha ha!

And how come a GI Joe doll is OK for boys, but not, for example, a baby doll?

WTF.

[dionysus]

18. just label it an "action figure", problem solved :)

[riverbendviewgal]

21. a baby doll is not

an action figure as we know it. LOL

[dionysus]

23. i used to get so mad when mom called my he-man and gi joe toys dolls!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

33. There was some crossover...

[Deep13]

35. *chuckle* nt

[tblue37]

36. Before my daughter was born, I gave my son a soft-bodied baby doll, plus a

toy stroller, high chair, etc. My son was 19 months old when his suster was born, and whenever I took care of her--feeding, diapering, rocking to sleep, etc., he was right next to me, taking care of his own baby. It helped him adjust to having to share my attention, and his loving care for his baby doll was reflected in his behavior with his baby sister--not always, but much of the time.

[kdmorris]

37. If one of my 6 month old sons wants a doll

He's getting a damned doll.

With a role model like their father and practicing on a doll when they are young, I can only imagine they will make wonderful fathers!!

[11 Bravo]

42. Will, check this out ... Alan Alda from a long time ago.

I show this to my Elementary School students every year.