My Son Wants a Barbie for Christmas
Asya Morgan
Issue date: 3/5/10 Section: Can You Hear Me Now
Can boys play with Barbie Dolls? Can girls play with action figures?
For Shernette Allen, a 41-year-old mother of two, the answer is absolutely not.
"Boys shouldn't play with Barbies. It makes them start to develop 'feminine' characteristics."
Is this true? Do boys develop female tendencies from playing with dolls? Is it vice versa for little girls?
Once again, Allen thinks so. According to her, playing with male dolls can turn a girl into a tomboy. Tomonika Smith, 19, provides a different perspective from a different generation; she says that as a young girl she preferred playing with her brother's Marvel comic book toys because they had more action than Barbie.
Smith, who was the exact opposite of a tomboy growing up, says, "A children's toy is a children's toy, little girls and little boys don't even play with them in the same way."
So is this difference in parenting based on generational change?
In our modern culture, an unspoken rule still seems to exist that boys should play with tough, fighting action figures and girls should play with frilly pink dolls. We socialize our children to uphold this tradition every time a new baby is born by painting their nursery pink with flowers or blue with airplanes. But why can't a child both dress-up Barbies and fight with action figures, regardless of his or her gender?
Ashley Coaston, an 18-year-old college freshman, said that she would not allow her sons to play with dolls, but she would allow her daughters to play with action figures if they wanted to. When asked why, she admitted that her view is somewhat biased, but concluded that ultimately, "They are all just toys, people."
This is true; G.I. Joes and Barbies are both just plastic toy people. So why wouldn't Coaston give the Barbie "just dolls" to her sons?
The gender boundaries on these toys are a generational tenet, passed down ad infinitum for no reason other than the conditioned opinions of parents or would-be parents spanning the age gap, as evidenced by the shared opinions of Allen and Coaston.
Nowadays, Barbie has her own fairytale movies, television shows and adventure books-the same basic media from which action figures are derived. This paraphernalia, especially the movies, are typically available and acceptable material for both genders. Why is this not the same for the dolls themselves?
Darrian Stoneham, a 20-year-old male, used to play with both types of toys as a child.
"It doesn't really matter," he explains, "I used to play with my cousins who had both 'girl' and 'boy' toys. I think you should just buy kids the toys they want. I mean, I've never heard anyone's son say 'I want a Barbie for Christmas.'"
An interesting point, but we can't ignore why boys don't actively express a desire for Barbies. Is this an innate need for action or violence, or a product of socialization? Would boys want Barbies and girls want G.I. Joes if they weren't raised to think they should only prefer a specific type of toy?
Our children are shaped by the social fallacies and biases that have colored our views, on topics that run the gamut from religion to morals to actual law. Every parent has a set of rules that govern how they raise their children, and it would be impossible to change the minds of the millions of mothers who want their daughters to play dress-up or fathers who want their boys playing war games. Or would it? Chances are, parents feel this way because of how they were raised by their own parents, and they are probably set in their ways now. As with most societal patterns, the way to see a change is to start with the youngsters.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Toy Institute explain, "When children play with a broad variety of toys, the experiences help them to develop to their fullest potential." Children learn through variety. For kids, the level of entertainment a toy provides matters more than the implications of its social gendering. Action figures and dolls are both just toy people, and kids will continue to see them as such until adults tell them differently. How about for this next generation, we try to let them keep that viewpoint, and if he wants a Barbie for Christmas, let's give it to him.
For Shernette Allen, a 41-year-old mother of two, the answer is absolutely not.
"Boys shouldn't play with Barbies. It makes them start to develop 'feminine' characteristics."
Is this true? Do boys develop female tendencies from playing with dolls? Is it vice versa for little girls?
Once again, Allen thinks so. According to her, playing with male dolls can turn a girl into a tomboy. Tomonika Smith, 19, provides a different perspective from a different generation; she says that as a young girl she preferred playing with her brother's Marvel comic book toys because they had more action than Barbie.
Smith, who was the exact opposite of a tomboy growing up, says, "A children's toy is a children's toy, little girls and little boys don't even play with them in the same way."
So is this difference in parenting based on generational change?
 Media Credit: Google Images Gender Bending |
Ashley Coaston, an 18-year-old college freshman, said that she would not allow her sons to play with dolls, but she would allow her daughters to play with action figures if they wanted to. When asked why, she admitted that her view is somewhat biased, but concluded that ultimately, "They are all just toys, people."
This is true; G.I. Joes and Barbies are both just plastic toy people. So why wouldn't Coaston give the Barbie "just dolls" to her sons?
The gender boundaries on these toys are a generational tenet, passed down ad infinitum for no reason other than the conditioned opinions of parents or would-be parents spanning the age gap, as evidenced by the shared opinions of Allen and Coaston.
Nowadays, Barbie has her own fairytale movies, television shows and adventure books-the same basic media from which action figures are derived. This paraphernalia, especially the movies, are typically available and acceptable material for both genders. Why is this not the same for the dolls themselves?
Darrian Stoneham, a 20-year-old male, used to play with both types of toys as a child.
 Media Credit: Google Images Mommy, Can I Have It? |
An interesting point, but we can't ignore why boys don't actively express a desire for Barbies. Is this an innate need for action or violence, or a product of socialization? Would boys want Barbies and girls want G.I. Joes if they weren't raised to think they should only prefer a specific type of toy?
Our children are shaped by the social fallacies and biases that have colored our views, on topics that run the gamut from religion to morals to actual law. Every parent has a set of rules that govern how they raise their children, and it would be impossible to change the minds of the millions of mothers who want their daughters to play dress-up or fathers who want their boys playing war games. Or would it? Chances are, parents feel this way because of how they were raised by their own parents, and they are probably set in their ways now. As with most societal patterns, the way to see a change is to start with the youngsters.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Toy Institute explain, "When children play with a broad variety of toys, the experiences help them to develop to their fullest potential." Children learn through variety. For kids, the level of entertainment a toy provides matters more than the implications of its social gendering. Action figures and dolls are both just toy people, and kids will continue to see them as such until adults tell them differently. How about for this next generation, we try to let them keep that viewpoint, and if he wants a Barbie for Christmas, let's give it to him.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
editing service
posted 5/21/10 @ 5:30 AM PST
Strange desires, don't you think? But, probably, you shouldn't worry about consequences in future. I know the similar cases, and everything were without problems or errors in mind of a kid. (Continued…)
Childcare in Eastbourne
posted 7/28/10 @ 7:51 AM PST
I wouldn't exactly say it would be promoting femininity in a young boy by allowing them to play with a doll. Especially since so many male oriented toys exist in the same way, i. (Continued…)
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