The benefits of playing with dolls – why it can be good for boys too!

Imagine being two feet high and dealing with a world that is meant for someone twice your size at the very least! Everything appears large, everyone seems to look down on you and everything seems enlarged. Children have a fundamental need to shrink the large, loud, chaotic world we inhabit down to a manageable size so they can test their ideas in everyday situations, and this has been said by none less than a psychology professor at Yale University. 

We know that our kids ( as did we) name their dolls, talk to them, take care of them, baby talk to them and pretty much treat the doll like a part of their real world people. We also use the dolls to deflect anything; talk about hurt (see dolly is crying),  discuss important issues like body image, safe touch and bad touch etc. and generally as a surrogate for ourselves.

In the next couple of decades emotional intelligence or EQ will be vital for success – reading emotions is as important as reading a memo especially when dealing with humans.  When children use pretend play toys and create situations or fill in for peers, they are learning about communication, empathy and problem solving along the way.

7 Benefits of Playing with Dolls

Playing with dolls provides many benefits to a child's development. Here are some benefits of doll play that your baby  - boy or girl- can get while playing doll games.

1. Doll play benefits emotional intelligence by teaching empathy and communication.

2. Creativity is improved by this imaginative role-playing with dolls. These are great indoor toys for preschoolers.

3. Playing with dolls supports social skills and teamwork.

4. Children learn to process their emotions better and also learn problem-solving.

5. Playing with dolls builds confidence and independence.

6. Improved nurturing behaviour and a sense of responsibility are benefits of doll play. 

7. Boy doll sets and boy’s doll houses allow little boys to develop empathy and nurturing behaviour.

How can parents make sure doll play creates positive spaces in which to learn social lessons?

• Think of dolls as objects of affection and tools rather than as simple toys. Children will learn how to care for objects of their affection, especially those cast in their moulds and much smaller than them.

• Know that dolls create worlds in a profound and complicated way. Think about body image for instance – dolls can help with unrealistic expectations and help with positive body image. 

• Playing with dolls should be normalised for both boys and girls. Dolls are non-threatening and do not react aggressively with the children. Be it boys or girls, they need this in their lives.

• If you are moving, do not forget to pack your Child’s favourite doll. Dolls are a constant presence and remain unchanged no matter what else happens in a child’s life. This may be very comforting to a child who has moved recently and while everything including neighbours and friends is new, the doll is present and constant.

• Recognising the importance of dolls in their lives. Dolls and soft toys are even often used in therapy to understand issues that a child may need to deal with after trauma for instance.

• Get more boy doll sets and dress-up dolls for boys to provide representation and encourage boys to participate in nurturing roles during pretend play.

• Encourage boys to play with boy doll houses and doll games for boys to explore family roles. You can also give them as kid's return gifts.
  
  

Is it ok for boys to play with dolls?

Experts agree that boys playing with dolls is just as helpful for them, as it is for girls. Boys 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 boy doll sets. 

• Distinctly different boy doll sets facilitate conversations on skin colour, gender, race, identity and more.

• Playing with boys' dollhouses encourages nurturing behaviour

• Baby boy doll toys help them develop caregiving skills early on.

• Boy doll sets and boy’s dollhouses can be used to create diverse imaginative play opportunities and storytelling.

Check out our colourful, diverse peg dolls set to initiate a conversation about this. You'll see peg dolls of different sizes and colours, with deliberately minimal features to facilitate imagination.

Breaking Gender Stereotypes

Studies indicate that gender roles get solidified all too early. When we encourage kids to play with all kinds of toys, it sets the foundations for free thinking and removes the constraints of gender. 

Psychologist studies show that by age 5, boys are already performing their masculinity for external approval (girls also similarly perform for external approval). Boys playing with dolls can also encourage them to break from hyper-masculine roles altering the world around them. Doll games for boys play a big role in diminishing what is known as “toxic masculinity”.

Occasionally there could be social stigma attached to boys playing with toys out of concerns for gender conformity and eventually, sexuality. Boys playing with dolls are sometimes considered weird and discouraged and may sometimes be teased.  But it is up to us, as parents, to normalize this and equip our children to respond appropriately. So get them more dress-up dolls for boys and baby boy doll toys.

A Real Life Example

Bangalore-based parents Nandini Vishwanath and her husband Ajit Bhaskar are particular about sending the right gender-related messages to their son who loves playing with nail polish. Ajit often joins him in this, lending his fingernails for 3-year-old Abhay's experiments, and sharing pictures of this online. Ajit is also a well-known home chef and food writer and gets Abhay in the kitchen with him as much as possible. By consciously subverting conventional gender roles, they hope they are raising their son to grow up without biases.

Listen to a wonderful free-flowing chat with them here.

What we need to know about playing with dolls

• Kids practice how to interact with other people in a non–threatening environment when they play with dolls. 

• They can emulate the adults in their lives and make mistakes without fear.

• It helps children to identify with dolls so that they can imagine the world from their perspectives and build empathy. 

• Boys playing with dolls  and boy’s doll houses have better emotional growth and understanding

• Boy doll sets help to develop compassion and social awareness in little boys.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to remember that play like everything else should be about free choice. If we wish to raise free-thinking, independent individuals it is important to let boys and girls explore all facets of their personality and not stigmatize or shame them to conform to one way of thinking. Fathers these days are an equal part of raising their children. Boys playing with dolls should also be as normal as girls playing with them. 

Check out Shumee’s collection of thoughtfully designed open-ended toys for kids that help children explore, imagine and grow. From boy doll sets and boy's doll houses to wooden learning toys and activity toys for kids, Shumee has a great collection of toys for every child. 

Happy parenting!

Frequently Asked Questions on Playing With Dolls

1. Why is it important for children to play with dolls?

Doll play is important for a child’s development. It helps develop social skills, creativity, a sense of responsibility and empathy. It is important for little boys to have baby boy doll toys.

2. What age are dolls good for?

Dolls are appropriate for children of all ages. At age 1-2 baby doll for boy toddlers become their favourite pretend play toy.

3. What is the psychology of playing with dolls?

Playing with dolls helps children process their emotions and imagination. Baby boy doll toys help little boys understand relationships and nurturing.

4. Is it ok for boys to have dolls?

Yes. Boys can play with dolls just like girls do. Playing with boy doll sets and boy doll houses helps them build empathy and responsibility. Boys playing with dolls also breaks gender stereotypes.