Should I be concerned if my son finds interest in playing with my daughters Dora The Explorer Talking Kitchen?

Question

My daughter also finds interest in this as well but tends to choose toys that would seem to be a particular interest to her brother.

Answer 1

Depends how old he is. If he is over 18 then I would gently tell him to get out more ....  lol

If he is an infant then maybe he likes whatever that toy is because it talks.

Anyway I am a guy and I used to dress up as a witch, a dental nurse and I had a girl friend across the street and we used to swap clothes and go into town. I was 8 btw (not recently)

I also had a kitchen set but it was a baker's kitchen so no probs on gender there.

As a teen I used to read girls' teen mags and comb my hair a lot.

I liked boys things too but I wanted to be a female secret agent (so I took up judo) but I also wanted to be a cat burglar or the Man from UNCLE. I also wanted to be Emma Peel and/or Tara King from the Avengers or April Dancer - the Girl from Uncle.

My mother didn't mind a bit but this was in the 60s and she was very liberal.

btw I'm g*y so perhaps you should become a member of PFLAG = Parents And Friends of Lesbians and g**s ..... just in case!

In the meantime I'd leave him alone.

Oh I almost forgot: I used to play with my little sister's Rapunzel doll (the one that had hair that grew if you turned the nob in her back) I have a feeling she peed too if you fed her water. However my Mum didn't like that idea and took it away from  me.

Hope this helps .....

Answer 2

No, don't you dare take that away from him. He's a little kid. Don't gender role him. Let him follow his interests and play/ grow the way he wants. If your daughter wants to play with legos and build things, don't be concerned either. Let them be their selves. If you do that, you are right. If not, you should be ashamed.

Answer 3

I wouldn't worry too hard. Maybe he wants to learn how to cook. Cooking is gender neutral (and some of the best chefs in the world are men!).

I have a boy and a girl too and they play with each other's toys. My son was carrying around a basket of groceries today and wanted to have a picnic. My daughter plays with cars and tractors. It's no big deal. Just as long as people don't force their children to play with toys of the opposite gender, just to make a point. That isn't good.

Answer 4

Most young children enjoy playing with kitchens, tea sets etc.  This is not something you should discourage.  You don't want your son to grow up into one of these hopeless men who never lift a finger around the house.

Answer 5

Playing restaurant was something my siblings and I enjoyed playing.  Brother is straight.....not sure if he picked up cooking or not!

Answer 6

I wouldn't be concerned.

He might enjoy cooking.

Who knows, you might have the next Jamie Oliver there (or the next Gordon Ramsay if you son swears alot too).

The best thing about that is that when he gets older, you won't have to do all the cooking.

If you're really worried about it, maybe you should get a gender neutral cooking set - not one that is pink and girly, but one that has gender neutral colours that are still bright and interesting for a small child. It would atleast put your mind at rest.

Women might cook in the home more, but the worlds best chefs tend to be men. Strange fact.

Answer 7

Yes you should be concerned about yourself as the mother of these two children.  You should consult a psychologist to check whether you have a gender bias.  No court of law or serious business takes in to account the actions of a minor, because it so easy to mold them put your ideas in to their mind and actions.

Answer 8

no i believe he just likes the feeling of cooking you never know he could become a chef and usually this happens when kids play with toy used for other genders they just want to play with something out of their gender range

Answer 9

Interesting. My little nephew cross-dresses.

Answer 10

No he'll turn out sensitive..

i  think

Answer 11

?????  Kids play with all sorts of things.  I used to pretend I was the priest saying Mass but I didn't grow up to be a priest !

Just let them play, for goodness' sake.....

Answer 12

No need for concern. Kids are interested in all kinds of things. Cooking is gender nuetral anyways. They don't differentiate about what is the "correct" toy to play with until they get older.

Answer 13

Human sexuality tends to follow a Gaussian distribution, even during the formative years.  Therein, if it is in your interest to allow your son to engage in normative standards for a male in society, then you should discourage such behaviour.