Is It Ok to Buy My Son Girl Toys?

If you're worried about it, why don't you get him some of the other character dolls like Sebastian or flounder from little mermaid? It's still a great movie for all genders, but if you're looking for him to have more male influences, maybe choose the male characters? Likewise Dora has Boots the monkey and her male counterpart Diego with plenty of merchandising to follow.

I say buy them. Plus in today's society, men cook, clean and take care of kids. I know my hubby does. Is it any diffenent than letting a boy play house? or with dolls?

I think that there is definitely a split between moms and dads on this issue. I think young kids like what they like because it is fun and because society says boys should play with cars and girls should play with dolls we become afraid to allow them to just be kids. You may want to try some new toys both designed for boys and girls. If you want to expose him to more boyish toys, you could buy him "boy" dress up clothes (pirates, etc.) and some really cool boy accessory sets like a playschool tool bench set and along with some other toys he has asked for and go from there. Good Luck.

Well, first of all, I don't think pretending to be a mermaid means he will someday want to have romantic relations with other men....

But my opinion is that if he wants to play with "girl's" toys and you do not let him, he will still WANT to play with those toys. He will just be unhappy for reasons he doesn't understand. Not allowing him to do something will not change anything about him or his likes or dislikes, it will just make him confused. At his age he does not understand society's hangups.

More than likely when he goes to school he will start to conform a little more to what is "normal" for fear of teasing. Perhaps he will grow up to be a very nurturing man, perhaps he will be gay, perhaps he will be a pro wrestler. In my opinion what he plays with now will not affect him so much as how he is treated. Above all I would avoid making him feel shamed or embarrassed about it.

We dealt with a similar issue with my mother-in-law telling my son (1.5 yo) he couldn't play with his sister's dolls. We put a stop to that immediately.

This is completely developmentally appropriate. I have an education and child psychology background, and boys this age oftentimes identify with their mother and what are considered girl things and behaviors! I have known boys when they were that age that loved to invite my daughter over because they would play princess dress-up. He even had his nails painted, headbands etc., all for dress-up. He was the oldest of three, but loved all toys for boys or girls.

For the last couple of years my son who is 7 had been asking for an American girl doll because my daughter has a couple, but if I ask him what he really wants now, he asks for things like a remote control car or a castle lego set. He still plays with things like Littlest Pet Shop with his sisters, (he has three), but I think he's very well-rounded! Oh, and he went through that phase of "my favorite color is pink" as did some other boys in my daughter's preschool. So I bought him a tommy hilfiger dress shirt that is mostly pink. He has a couple of baby dolls and lots of stuffed animals. My brothers played with Barbies with me and even had some of their own, and I had some Matchbox cars, GI JOES, and Star Wars figures.

Your child is not gay, and you are not going to cause that to happen if you buy him a few dolls. Children cannot be gay. People make choices later on related to their upbringing and experiences. Just be loving to him and respectful, and you'll realize it is just a phase.

Have fun with your kids, and laugh every day!

C.,

Sure it is. My son was the middle child and played with girl stuff all the time. Dress-up usually was his older sister's old dance costumes. Fact is, when you think of it, girls toys and dress-up clothes are generally more fun and exciting to play with, certainly more appealing to the eye.
I am also a home child care provider and it is EXTREMELY common for the Rescue Heroes to live in the dollhouses and Dora to be riding a fire truck. Actually its quite interesting when they mix it all up that way.

As a "grown up boy" and father of two girls, I've got to agree with everyone else. There's quite a big hole in the market of toys for boys similar to those the girls have- "Action Figures" like GI Joe are the closest it gets. I say get him any toy in the genre he wants; would you rather he watches four hours of TV a day? You should both be proud of having a boy with a good imagination and creativity. Playing with dolls and dresses will not mess up a boy any more than playing baseball messes up a girl. Twenty years ago, I'm sure people were saying the same thing about girls playing soccer!

If it eases your husband's fears, try getting your son the dolls and dresses he wants, but ALSO look into boy dress-up and action figures. Pirate costumes have been big this past year, and there are several lines of boy action figures that are non-violent, esp. the Rescue Hero line. (There are also GI Joes with guns and pro-wrestler figures - you may not want those.)

When I was younger, I remember playing with "Big Jim", who had a camper and other camping/hiking accessories. I also played with those little plastic army guys and plastic animals on mountainous terrain made from draping a blanket over boxes and pillows.

I agree with all the other posters that your son's behaviors are typical of many other boys his age. I think his preferences have absolutely nothing to do with sexual orientation. He hasn't expressed an interest in other boys, simply in toys that some people are stereotyping as "girl toys". This is pretend. This is imagination! He simply wants to play with or do things he has seen modeled by you or that look interesting to him. I certainly hope that no one has communicated to him in word or action that his dad thinks he is "messed up." Love him as he is, don't make a big deal about it, and get him what will make him happy. I would suspect he would be very sad if he found out he couldn't get the toys that interested him because his dad thought he was weird.

Just to give you a concrete example of what all the Moms are saying, my 13 yr old never liked dolls but he did get fascinated when Mommy put on make-up and he had to try it too. I was like no biggie, though my ex thought it was horrifying. Now, years later, and tons of brainwashing by society on "how to be a boy/man" (which you can't avoid no matter how hard you try)the main thing he enjoys is video games where he shoots someone or blows them up. So I wouldn't worry.
Not only are toys just toys to kids, but they are processing and curious about gender roles and what they see their parents etc. doing. Someday there will probably be a big movement where guys finally insist they get to wear pink and play with dolls! Please let that happen so that men will start helping more with the kids and doing housework!!!! PLease!

I agree with the other responses that a toy is a toy and kids and kids. I think that if a person is gay or transgender or whatever, it won't matter what toys you buy them. Whatever you do, you love your kids and that is the most important.

I always like to respond to questions/concerns like these. First, you are making the absolutely incorrect assumption that "gayness" can be controlled or influenced. You are also assuming that if a boy is interested in "girl" toys, then he must be gay. Homosexuality is not a choice, it is what the person "is". Allowing a child to play with a particular kind of toy will not make him any more or less gay. Many little boys play with "girl" toys. My son, who is 21, in college, and NOT GAY loved to play with his sister(2 years younger), and her toys when he was little. Thank goodness we just allowed our kids to be kids and explore all areas of play without prejudices and biases. Basically, kids just want to have fun. Of course, if he was engaging in physically harmful behavior, then we would have stopped it. He was not and he eventually outgrew his interest in Barbies and the like. FYI - he ended up playing ice hockey for his high school, graduated in the top 5% of his class, loves all sports, especially football, and is currently a senior at Purdue University. He is a well-rounded, Christian, adult who understands diversity and embraces the concept of equality for all, no matter what their gender, race, religion, sexual preference, political affiliation, etc. I would strongly encourage you to allow your son to play with whatever toys he likes. Get him the toys that he asks for. This will show him that you understand his needs/wants/desires and you love him for who he is. He will not feel ashamed or misunderstood. He will just be a little boy who wants to have fun.

I would buy the toys for him. That is not going to "turn him gay". I heard a story of a little boy insisting that he wanted a princess birthday party one year. My son walks around in his sisters dress up shoes all the time and pushes her baby dolls in the stroller all the while carrying a purse!
Like another mom said, he sees dad or other dads pushing a stroller and carrying around a baby, possibly even carrying the diaper bag like a purse, so the child is only imitating dad! I would so not worry, and go with the flow. Even if he is gay, or transgender,which is probably not the case, there is absolutely nothing you nor your husband can do to "change him" anyway. Good luck!

When my son was a 2 year old, all he wanted for Christmas was a Strawberry Shortcake doll. I was appalled, but my mom said to buy if for him. She stated that this is how boys learn how to be good fathers: by holding and snuggling babies, and learning how to nurture. She was right. He is now 27, has 3 young sons and is a great dad. Always holding and snuggling those babies, just like he did Strawberry Shortcake.

My son is 5 and has the same issue. He is only interested in girl toys loves my clothes, styling my hair. When we go to Target he spends the entire time in the Barbie aisle. He shows no signs of outgrosing this and My husband is not very supportive witht the issue.

I truely believe that you should get what he wants. He does not know girl or boy toys now and he shouldn't. I have a girl and now a boy and if he wants to play with her toys (girl) I am not going to stop heim I see in his future being dressed up. That is not going to stop him being a strong kid later. I also have to say when my daughters friend down the street comes over and he is a boy he plays with all her girl towys. I would not look to much into it. My bother in law is gay and he did not play with "girl toys". I hope this is helpful
M.

My opinion - it is okay to get him "girl" toys if that is what he wants. My son had a time, around 4 years old, where he loved scarves and making new outfits out of them. He is now 7 and his new favorite things are baseball and fishing. Even if your son doesn't out grow the phase, being a good mom to him means supporting him and his choices. I think your hubby will come to that conclusion too, given time. Good luck!

I can tell you I grew up with a sister and two other girls in our entire neighborhood, everyone else were boys. We spent quite a bit of time playing with my brother and his friends; GI Joe, Transformers, Cops and Robbers, BB guns out in the woods, war games in the neighborhood, and the boys played with us too; house, dress up, barbies, we used to do their "make overs" hair, nails, make up, the whole nine yards. I can;t tell you how many times I've painted my brothers nails "pretty pink" as a kid. They would dance with us, Footloose was THE thing those days, Michael Jackson, etc...

They are all very straight these days, almost all married with kids. A toy is just a toy. And further more I just read an article the other day talking about how children's toys these days are not as good for them as they used to be. They direct the kids too much (electronics in particular) and keep them from using their imaginations. Here's the link...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071123204938...

Great article. Tell your husband it's in your sons best interests as a person to be able to imagine and be creative. It may actually make him smarter :)

your little sweetie will be whatever he will be irrespective of what toys he gets. I would get him what he asked for and not make a big deal about it. The part that can be hard is when he wants to dress up etc and go out as some in the world are not so kind to anything outside their own box.

The only thing that will mess him up is making a huge issue of it. If you need a logical way to think of playing with dolls, keep this in mind: hopefully someday, whether he's gay or not (and playing with dolls is not an indication one way or another), he will be a daddy. Playing with dolls is roleplaying what they learn from you about parenting and nuturing. You want your son to be a loving, nurturing and gentle parent, right? The great liklihood is that this is a phase, and one that will pass more quickly if he's allowed to explore it. Making it a huge issue could totally backfire and make him more determined to play with the "forbidden" toys.

Good luck. Love your son and give him the freedom to express himself.

I think it is okay but I am sure my husband would be opposed if we had a boy. Why don't you buy him a Diego doll or a boy doll with hair.

I don't think forcing toys on children is good. I have always had boy and girl toys for my daughter. She enjoys playing with cars and tools. I also think it may be a stage he is going through.

Try to imagine being a little boy - for the most part, their hair and clothes are pretty much the same and really basic. But think of how fun it is to be a little girl that gets to wear her hair a lot of different ways, wear shorts/pants AND skirts, and really accessorize with makeup and jewelry! How cool must this be for a little girl and maybe little boys might want to experiment with their look and style a little bit. He might just want to see what it is like to switch things up and it could have absolutely nothing to do with being transgender.

I wish I knew a nice way to articulate to your husband that your son isn't "messed up" but I dont, so I won't even go there. There's nothing wrong with him playing with whatever toys make him happy and spark his imagination and curiosity in the world around him. Like another poster said, think of all the successful (not to mention straight) men who have 'girlie' jobs - Chefs Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, famed Beverly Hills Stylist Jonathon Antin, dancer Michael Flatley, and many, many more. Crushing his spirit and not allowing him to play with toys because "they're too girlie" messes him up more.

WOW! What a lot of responses! My 2 cents... boys and girls are different... so even if he plays with the "girl" toys the play might be very different. I think a terrific compromise would be to get the other characters as others have suggested - the prince, Sebastian, the Sea King... Diego... lots of good choices that both support your son and gently direct him toward laudable masculine characters and characteristics.

I'm guessing you have gotten at least one message regarding the whole gay thing so I will only say that if he is, keeping "girl toys" away from him won't change it and if he's not gay, giving him the toys won't produce it.
I just bought a doll for my son for Christmas because he loves babies and gave a friend's baby doll a kiss recently. I read something recently that said that letting a boy play with "girl stuff" can actually be good for them because it teaches them early that there really isn't a difference and that a boy can do anything he wants to in the long run. They have also found that boys tend to play with these toys in a different way than girls. They may be attracted to the toy for different reasons and while girls play house with their dolls, many boys don't.
Tell your hubby to read a book and get current on gender association facts. Your son is NOT "messed up" and nothing you do or don't do is going to change they way he turns out in the end (well, sure, there are things you can do that can affect him, but I'm guessing you aren't doing anything drastic enough to do this). Treat him like a boy and offer him more tradionally boy toys and in the end, get him whatever he will be happy with. Isn't it more important that he's happy? In the long run, you will probably do more damage by telling him to be something he's not than encouraging him to be himself and enjoy what he wants to :)

So, get him a Dora doll and a Diego doll and let him play with both! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas:)

My boys had dolls, kitchen stuff (they both love play cooking, EZ Bake, etc.) and they are the most testosterone-filled boys-boys you can imagine. I just bought the 3yo a girl-branded (because I couldn't find any other kind) horse paddock and barn because he wanted horses. Why are horses in the pink aisle? It is a mystery. A girl just told him recently at preschool that pink really isn't his favorite color. She was so convinced he must be mistaken, because boys can't like pink. (of course, 100 years ago, pink was the boy color.)

Some boys really are drawn to feminine things at a young age and it's a preference that lasts, but for most it's just a phase. There's no way to know which category your son falls into, but as parents you have no choice if you want him to be a healthy adult who is comfortable with himself - you have to support him in the things he loves.

He is only 5. Get him what he is interested in. Buying dolls will not make him gay. Explain to your husband that this is what you son plays with. Why buy him stuff that he won't use. Just a waste of money. Good luck and don't worry about it. Little imaginations should be encouraged not stifled.

Actually, I've talked to a lot of moms with boys that did that. None of them turned out gay. Most kids look at toys as toys. They won't freak out over gender toys until older I guess. I say let him play with them. Get him what he wants, whether it's boys or girls. He'll grow out of it.

I am so happy to see so many in agreement on this! My oldest son and daughter are 22 mos. apart and played with each other most of their childhood, this meant that my son wore dresses, played with dolls and wore lipstick as much as my daughter played cars, watched Ninja Turtles and played with legos. SHEESH! Buy your son a Dora doll AND a Diego doll.
BTW, my son is 21, a massage tech, has piercings and tattoos, listens to death metal and has girls calling him left and right. *sigh* You never stop worrying and wondering, what you worry about changes with age. Love him, no matter WHAT!

This is going to be a long one, C., but bare with me....I have to say that I strongly disagree with some of the other mom's responses. I am reading a book written by Dr. James Dobson called "Bringing up Boys" that I strongly recommend you reading so you can get some insight on this. People may think that you're keeping him from what he's passionate aboutif you were to not allow him to play with girls' things, but the fact is, boys have to be taught how to be boys. If you allow him to play with girls' stuff and act like a girl, you will mold him into being feminine and there's more of a chance of him being gay. I know this is controversial, but I do not believe there is a "gay gene". I believe that it's learned and chosen. In the book, one thing he says is that at first, a boy is emotionally attached to his mother, and models her behavior. But, at some point, around 18 months, a boy begins to observe the difference between his mother and his father. He decides at a young age, usually before 3, that he wants to grow up to be like his father. A boy's father has to do his part though in this critical transformation. He has to mirror and affirm his son's maleness by playing rough and tumble games, teaching him how to throw and catch a ball, and other "boy" stuff. If parents encourage the maleness in their little boys, it will help children to develop masculine identities, and decrease and eliminate possibilities of them choosing a gay lifestlye. It's totally different for a boy to grow up than it is for a girl. A girl's identity is easily identified due to the fact that she is born under the care of her mother and doesn't have to outgrow the female tendencies that surround her in the first few years of her life. Boys though, have to be introduced to "boy" things. They have to be taught what "boys" do and how boys act. Without being shown what it means to be a boy, they will be drawn to things that are feminine because their main model will be their mother. There are two research groups of psychiatrists that actually specialize in treating homosexuality, the earlier in life, the better. Here are their websites
www.exodusnorthamerica.org
and
www.narth.com
If I were in your situation, I would talk to your husband and explain to him how important it is that he teach your son how a boy is supposed to act. Your husband is absolutely right by saying that he shouldn't be bought girl items. You'd only be encouraging him to want to be a girl. It doesn't take much for your husband to take this responsibility. Just a matter of rough housing with him and not letting him act like a girl. My husband is always telling my son "boys are tough" "boys don't cry about things like that" "boys don't play with that", and other things. Well, at first, I had to really get used to it because it's hard for a mother to see your child act sensitive and be told not to. But, when you think about it, it really is the way a boy should act. Sure, there will always be sensitive children, but their gender should reflect on the way they handle it. I strongly believe that without being taught these things, my son would grow up to be a wienie, just because I know me, and I know that I would always want to console him when he needs it. My husband on the other hand, wants to raise him to be a man, which is the best thing for him. That's why it takes two to create life. A girl needs to learn to be a woman through her mother, but needs to learn how a man is supposed to treat her from her father. A boy needs to learn to be a man from his father, but learn how to treat a lady and how one should treat him from his mother. Without those qualities being taught, they're only learning part of the knowledge they need. It doesn't have to be a husband/wife combination. As long as there's someone influential in their lives to teach them, they're good to go. Hope this helps.

There's actually no research to suggest that playing with "girl" toys will make a boy gay. Toys are toys to young kids. Is it bad for a boy to learn to be nurturing with a doll or to "cook" with a play kitchen? My son loves these things, as well as trucks, blocks, etc. Should I not let my daughter play with "boy" toys like trucks, cars and blocks? With one of each it is inevitable that they will play with each other's toys. Let your son play with what makes him happy. Playing with all kinds of toys and having diverse experiences is how young children learn about their world. Your husband (and mine, sometimes!) needs to relax.

Good luck!

Teaching a child a nongender based lifestyle w/variety of toys and books in the home, doesn't make a child Gay. It makes a child more rounded. In fact, you can read the recent research in support that our society and our strick expectations lead to the men in our world unable to show emotion or be in touch with their feelings. It's normal for boys to dress up in dresses as it is normal for a girl to dress up in boys clothes. I'm not sure why our society freaks out about boys playing with dolls and don't even blink at a girl playing with trucks. Know that the most important thing is that whatever interests your child, nurture it. Who knows... even if he's STRAIGHT he could be the next world class cook or fashion stylest or whatever (I know, drastic examples). And he loves YOU and will want to do what you do. I think men have issue with it because sometimes it somehow means they as men and fathers are some how less manly, when in reality, it makes them better fathers.
Heck, I loved my trucks growing up and i wanted to be a Football player AND a ballerina : )

I say buy him what he really wants to play with. Nothing wrong with that. And ignore anyone who acts or says otherwise. YOU are his mother, and it is your responsibility to mother him. THEIR say so does not matter. They will not be there throughout raising your child. If you love them...then, of course, support them and buy the things that HE wants! I think if you don't then you will really push him into resentment and he may be mentally unhealthy.

Good luck and Bless you and your son!

A.

That is a tough one because we are so hung up on stereotypes and there is so much media about trans-gender issues. If you don't want to buy him "girl" things, have you tried buying a Deigo doll instead of Dora? Or turn his interest into more like Seseme Street or other shows that have both male and female like Doodlebops?

If it was my child I would probably let him play with what he wants unless it will harm him of course, but also buy him some masculine toys as well. It could be a phase because I have know boys who played with dolls and girl toys and didn't turn out to be gay or feminine. However, I just wouldn't want to try and make him something he is not. I would want him to feel comfortable with who he is even if it is not what you and your husband wants for him. There are just too many kids these days that grow up depressed and are confused. My son likes both boys and girls toys. I let him play with what he wants. He is who he is and I love him no matter what. I figure I would much rather have a gay son than a confused and angry son. It is becoming more acceptable to be gay or trans-gender and so I think no matter how your son grows up he will be happy as long as you let him.

Good luck and I hope it all turns out ok!

R.

So many great posts already!

Sit your husband down at the computer and have him read the overwhelming responses that indicate this is NORMAL.

I personally think there is nothing wrong with kids playing with toys for the opposite gender. If that is what is of interest, they should be encouraged just as much as if it were "gender appropriate". I was VERY into trucks and GI Joes. I remember crying for hours the day my mom accidently threw away my showbox of GI Joe cutouts that were being saved to send in for the special one. Now, I am married and am very girly in a lot of ways.

The issue with him saying he wishes he were a girl could be an issue. I would talk to him and see why he says that. Is it only because he thinks he isn't allowed or supposed to play with what interests him because he isn't a girl? If that is the case, supporting him should help. If it is more psychological than that, you may need to take him to talk to someone.

In the end, what will really matter as he grows up is that his parents love and support him and accept him wholly for exactly who he is... not what toys he prefers.

I don't think this should be a big deal - and won't be if you don't make it one. To a child, a toy is a toy. They don't care if its a "girl" toy or "boy" toy.

A lot of boys play dress up or with dolls. It doesn't mean they are gay. Girlie stuff can be mysterious to them. Especially if they are told its off limits. Your husband will only make the toys more appealing if he makes them off limits. A friend's son went thru a cinderella phase when he was younger. He was cinderella-crazy. He is now a teenager and all boy... although he does seem to like blondes!

Think about it, you wouldn't worry about your daughter being gay if she wanted to play with racecars or dinosaurs.

Dora is hugely popular with all kids - boys and girls. We have two Dora dolls, and both boys and girls who come over always play with them.

TOYS ARE TOYS!! There are no boy or girls toys, they are just toys. I think it is funny how parents have no problem buying girls cars, trucks and such, but won't buy a boy a baby doll. When they are men don't they help take care of their babies, push their children in strollers, and watch "chick flicks"? Isn't this the same thing just at a younger level? I always treat every child as an individual, not as a girl or boy. You have some boys who are just full of energy and some who are as calm as can be. The same goes for girls some are full of energy (we call them tom boys) and other are the sweet little dancers. I have two of the sweet little dancers. I don't know how that happen since I was a complete tom boy. It must be from my husband. Imagine if my parents had tried to stop me from being who I am!

By the way toys do make a child gay.

Cheryl

Hi C.,
i'm not sure how to say it so i am just going to say it. I have 8 yr old twin girls and ever since my one twin erin has been little she has never been interested in girl toys. She is 8 and plays only with boy bratz dolls or star wars toys. I have no problem with it. I am also pursuing my early childhood education degree and so far all of the studies say that boys and girls should be able to play with whatever they feel comfortable with. They even encourage girls to play with trucks and boys to play with dolls. Since he is only 5 i really don't think you will have to worry about it, i do feel it is only a stage. Eventually when he gets in school the children will start to see what is considered appropriate by their peers. My dtr erin was only friends with the "boys" at her school from pre-k to 1st. But now she is in 2nd and it's starting to turn where she only has girl friends to play with. The boys think its gross! Lol.
Don't get to worked up about it and the same for your husband.
Enjoy him now, cause they grow so fast!!!!
C.

I suggest letting him play with what he wants. There is a chance that he is one of the many trans-gendered individuals in society today or it could be a phase. Trans-gendered simply means that physically he may be male but his mind might be female and lean towards female things. In fact I have heard that when parents try and suppress the desires of the child and try to force then to be one gender or another that is causes more trouble.I've actually had several trans-gendered friends who grew up wishing their parents had been more supportive. I've heard them say how hard it was just being in the wrong body but to not have their parents understand made it worse.
If it is a phase then there is no harm in letting him have his way, keep "boy" toys around and let him play with other little boys his age. He might just be jealous of the attention that his sister gets and wants some too. A lot of moms tend to fuss more over little girls. You might have trouble with your husband though, dads are very protective of their son's "masculinity" and he might take it personally as an insult to his if he thinks his son might be gay or even simply trans-gendered. Try to help him to be open minded and love your son, he's still very young and there's no telling what the future holds for him. Your boy is still your child and heaven knows no one else on earth can or will love him as much as you and your husband.

I think it is just fine for boys to play with girls toys. I think it is probably mostly the novelty. I mean, do we get all panicky when a girl asks for a tonka truck or bob the builder stuff? No, we just think she might be a tom boy. I used to love "boy" toys and turned out just fine. Just let him be who he wants to be, otherwise it could come back to haunt you later. If you let him have the girls toys, the novelty will probably wear off anyways. If not, I'm sure you would do more damage by teaching him "girly" things are bad and that he has to be "manly" at this age than by letting him play with a few dolls. I don't mean this to sound judgemental at all, just trying to give my opinion. Hope this helps.
A.

A toy is a toy. MY son picked a pink and purple dinosaur. He is 24 years old now and male as hell. Let your child play with whatever he wants, that is safe. Emagination is a great thing. The funniest thing to watch is your son breast feed his doll. Because breat milk is best.

My son is 19 months old and loves to play with his older sisters toys. I know some of it is just monkey see monkey do, but I can't help but smile when he puts "baby" to bed and rocks her. We started buying Little People. They have zoo's, garages, farms, planes. A lot of things for boys to play with where they still have people for pretend play. He now has to have a person in every vehicle and will play with them forever. He still likes to get into his sisters purses or "cook" in the play Kitchen, but I am fine with that. I keep telling my husband he is just getting in touch with his sensitive side and will make some woman a very luck husband one day. We shall see.....

Have you looked into the Diego toys? I think they're more geared toward boys. I do agree with the other posters, I think kids just play with whatever's handy. If he has an older sister, you probably have more 'girl' toys than 'boy' toys.Plus, he probably wants to be like his big sister. I would go ahead and get him the toys he asked for and maybe get him some cool trucks and such too. All children should be exposed to different kinds of toys. Plus, getting the trucks will help your husband feel a little better.

I know I'm very late with this, but I'll give my 2 cents worth. First of all, as many others said, you can't turn your son gay. If he is, he is. Letting him play with "girl" toys or not letting him do so won't change a darn thing. Plus, wanting to be a girl, etc. is more of a sign of gender confusion, not being gay. Plenty of gay men have been "masculine" and not played with one "girl" toy, nor had a desire to do so. Your husband doesn't want to "mess him up more", but refusing to allow him to play with what he wants could mess him up. Plus, the fact that he says "more" tells me that he's already seeing his son as messed up and that is unfortunate. Men who like the color pink, who like "girly" things and are more sensitive than their more masculine counterparts aren't "weenies" as one mother so disgustingly called them. Do you really want your son thinking that people who act like that are weenies? Do you really want your husband talking to him like the one woman suggsted? (I can't tell you how sad that made me). Your boy will be what he will be. You can't change that by giving him the "right" toys. But you can make him feel that what he desires is wrong and awful and therefore make more issues by telling him men don't like those things or making him feel like he's a "weenie" for liking those things. And that in turn *can mess him up. Offer him choices. Don't think of them or call them "girl" and "boy" toys. Just give him all kinds of choices and let him be. Let him know that you love him for the way he is and I guarantee you all will be happier. It could be a phase. Or maybe not. You never know. If your son grows up to be more "girly" than you'd like or even gay and gets made fun of for it, just tell yourself that at least he's not the one doing the teasing of others (like the son of the one woman who's afraid of her son being a weenie will most likely be) and that you'd rather have a child who is true to himself than a child who conforms so he won't be teased or to make his parent love him better. I wish you all the luck in the world and I'll be praying for you all.