Some
social critics believe that inclinations to gender-specific toys are
instinctive to a child. However, the results of a recent study
conducted on babies contradict this long-standing notion.
A
paper from the University of Sydney revealed that boys aren’t
naturally fond of “manly” toys. The babies were shown photos of
human dolls, cars, and stoves. The researchers then calculated the
time the children took staring at the pictures. It turned out that
dolls caught the baby boys’ attention more than cars and trucks
did.
A
lot of parents panic at the thought that their boys will become
“sissy” or effeminate when they grow up if they play with dolls.
The study revealed, however, that dolls are uniquely beneficial to
boys’ social development. Since boys will one day grow up to become
fathers, dolls can teach them how to love and nurture others. Plus,
compared to trucks and cars, dolls come with different outfits and
accessories which feed youngsters’ creative yearnings. Dolls also
give boys the freedom to choose their interests confidently, and they
can carry this to adulthood when deciding on their occupations and
hobbies.
In
addition, since doll playing teaches boys to love honestly and
openly, taking their toys away would make them feel that showing care
is wrong and that they should be ashamed of it. So the next time you
see your boy play with a doll, just let him. After all, it won’t
hurt to have a strongly empathetic family member.
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