Question:

Should my 8 year old son play with barbie dolls?

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I am concerned about my 8 year old son's new habit of playing with his sister's barbie dolls. I came home and saw him doing it and I spanked him and told him he needs to be a real man and do man things. My wife says that I was too harsh and suggested grounding him instead of the spankings.

My question is, is this normal? I'm not going to have a g*y for a son no matter how many spankings or groundings it takes.

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I see nothing wrong with a boy playing with Barbie's, it's not going to make him g*y. What is your daughter not allowed to play with "boy" toys.

One of my guy best friends used to come over to my house everyday and we played with my Bratz dolls a lot. But that's because there was nothing else to do if the pool wasn't open. And to this day - this guy is the straightest, straight dude you can find. It didn't "make him g*y" whoever said that or whoever told you that is telling you complete bull. It's just good old fun and it's not going to hurt the child.

I can kind of see where he finds dolls more appealing then "boy toys" just as little cars and stuff like that because I find those toys incredibly stupid and boring. With dolls it's not about little girl toys it's about having imaginary play. Maybe pretending the doll is a doctor or a wife with kids, etc. There's so many options with a doll. You can do anything and not to mention, spending an hour of putting clothes on the doll is pretty entertaining to. With a car, I can't see how many options in imaginary play.

The kid is just fine, there's nothing wrong with him playing with Barbie's.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Spanking your kids is fine. It lets them know who's the boss and it will teach them not to do it again. Your son shouldn't be playing with barbie dolls at his age. Buy him some real mans toys, or take him out hunting or something to show him what real men do and if you catch him playing with girls dolls again don't hesitate to hit him again, its the only way he'll learn.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
One night, when your daughter is asleep, gather up all her dolls and replace them with SpiderMan & GI Joe action figures. Then put all the dolls in the fire pit in the backyard and burn them.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
whats wrong with playing with a barbie doll, if it was an army doll you wouldnt mind,

hes not playing with it because he is or is going to be g*y, he is just playing with a toy, that maybe he has not been allowed before.

he is only 8 he is not making lifestyle desicions.

my partner will probably think exactly the same when our son is this age, but i will soon put him right, they are just children.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Yes that is normal but unfortunately YOU ARE NOT normal.

The thing is if you chose to ignore it, it is likely to stop.  The fact that you are making a huge deal about it means that it will become an issue...more fool you.
Report (0) (0) |   earlier
well I hope your kidding about spanking him and wanting him to be a real man-- I mean he is 8,- If you are serious and want him to really toughen up, get him some GI Joes or other manly action figures- then he pretend the barbies are prisoners or civilian townspeople -- the GI Joes can rape and pilage the girl dolls-- show him how the guys can really beat the girls down --
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Your a strange one People take a look at this persons ...STORY i mean question below !!!!

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...
Report (0) (0) | earlier
well either someone is g*y or someone is not g*y. its out of your control AND theirs. youre ignorant. and being g*y doesnt make someone any less of a man then you are.

he is going to resent you.

he is EIGHT. 8 yr olds have imaginations. he was just playing.

you know..being a KID.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Look.. he is what he is.. hes 8 for goodness sake. I am very against this whole.. be a man, attitude but thats your parenting i gotta MYOB anyhoo...i definately have to say that you are to ACCEPT him for who he is going to be.. hes your son and you need to be proud of him no matter what!
Report (0) (0) | earlier
What is so wrong with having a g*y son anyway ?

Also, just because he plays with dolls it DOES NOT MAKE HIM g*y - my brother never played with dolls, he was all about the action men and now he is g*y !

Let your son be his own person and don't make him resent you.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
First of all Spanking isn't bad, but come on over playing with a stupid barbie. Yeah it is a girls toy but lets get real the boy is 8. My little brother used to play with my barbies and now he is grown an married...TO A WOMAN! This will not in any way make him g*y. If he is g*y spanking him will NOT change that. In the long run he will grow to fear you. Just simply tell him it is a girls toy. Have you thought about getting him some GI JOE men or action figures? My boys love to play with them. Maybe take out to play just the two of you and do boy things. Do not punish him for playing....cause seriously that's all he was doing.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
I do not think punishing him for playing with barbie dolls will be very helpful. It will just make him confused, create trust issues between the two of you, and make the barbies a "forbidden fruit"-- which as you know, is always sweeter.

Perhaps he plays with them because he finds them s**y. My cousin used to play barbies with me (he is a boy and as straight as they come) and basically all he did was undress them to look at their b***s.

Playing with barbies does not indicate your sexuality. And spanking your child over and over will not change his sexuality. Sit him down and talk to him 'man to man' about what he likes about the dolls. You may be surprised.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Playing with barbies won't make your son g*y. If your son is already g*y, spanking him and grounding him won't change that.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
i think that if he enjoys playing with barbies fair enough

but i see were ur coming from and i think that maybe if you put a couple of men characters in the dolls aswell theres some masculanity in it :)
Report (0) (0) | earlier
So I guess "real men" spank little boys do they??? If he wants to play with dolls let him. Don't be such a pansy! Your son is more secure in his masculinity than you are! Pretty sad. By the way if your son IS g*y beating him will have no effect on that other than him hating you when he's older. Being paranoid about your son playing with dolls is NOT normal.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
dude. you are a horrible parent. why is it so bad if your son plays with Barbies? Would you have the same reaction if your daughter played with Hot Wheels cars?

And if your son is g*y, it's because he was born that way, and beating him won't make him straight. YOUR genes (or your wife's) are what caused it if he is g*y...
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Barbie dolls, eh? I knew a kid who had an early fascination with Barbie dolls....I would watch this carefully.

It isn't a big leap from playing with Barbies to directing p**n movies. Boils down to the same thing, doesn't it? Telling over-endowed women what to do and when, plus what they can wear.

Doesn't Hugh Hefner have girlfriends that kinda look like life-sized barbie dolls? http://www.eonline.com/on/shows/girlsnex...
Report (0) (0) | earlier
For your son's sake, give your local child protections services a call and tell them what you told us.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
You should have asked him first before you got mad & spanked him.

Then you'll know the reason why.

If he has tendency of becoming a g*y then you should stop him doing that. Drive him to do something manly. One step at a time, slowly... Spanking/pushing him at this situation is as good as pushing his curiousity to it.. It'll make him worse when he's get older (adult life) & free from you..

If it isn't anything like that, teach him to learn to be gentle with female using the Barbie.. It will come handy when he gets his puberty age, even his marriage life.... Women are crazy & gets turn on guy who is caring & hot at the same time!!!
Report (0) (0) | earlier
let me get this straight...you spanked your kid cause he was playing with a doll?

You need help. I have seen 2 boys grow up. Both played with barbies and neither one is g*y.  But you keep that spanking sh*t up and you may have some bigger issues on your hands.

Your child will not turn out to be g*y cause he plays with dolls. So get over it.  But he will start to hate and resent you. You need counsling and if I was your wife I would have left your *** for that.

I am not against spanking I am against the way you used the punishment.
Report (0) (0) |   earlier
Ok, this is not abnormal.  Boys are curious just as much as girls are.  Maybe he was playing with them because he was wanting to see what a girl looked like.  My brother 'played' with Barbies when he was little and we used to catch him looking up their dresses and under their shirts.  He is the furthest thing from g*y you can find.  A woman can't walk by him without him at the very least checking her out, if not making some comment about what he'd do with her.

This is not going to make your son g*y.  And if you are going to choose your son's sexuality for him then you are a horrible parent.  Spanking him will not change that, but he'll resent the h**l out of you for doing it.

So continue to spank your son for being curious.  Really good encouragement for him to develop his sense of imagination.  Wake up and open your mind because this is the real world and people aren't g*y or straight because of what toys they play with!  I had GI Joes, and I'm straight.  I also wrestled, climbed trees and everything else like that.  And I'm married with a kid now, it didn't make me a L*****n.
Report (0) (0) |   earlier
I am so amazed at the responses to this question. Is this a joke ? If your son is g*y no matter how many spankings or groundings you give him it will make no difference. He will only turn out to be an aggressive and bitter adult. Yes it is normal for children to explore different types of play each child is an individual. I would accept that he is his own person but you could say to him Dad does not like to see you playing with dolls !!! Punishment was definitley too harsh. Try and spend a little more time with him just being two boys together get to know him and accept him for who he is. If you want him to grow into a real man love him unconditionally that means accept him for who he is including his likes / dislikes.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
oh for god sake woman when i was about 6 i played with a flippin toy garage and i am straight!!!

what the h**l are u soo boverd bout if he does turn out g*y?

are you going to throw him out?

get a life
Report (0) (0) | earlier
would you let your daughter play with toy cars?

when I was a kid my parents encouraged us to play with toys for the opposite s*x to teach us that we shouldn't be judged for our choices. My brother is 5 years older than me and up until I was 11 he played dolls with me, I don't believe he enjoyed it, but it didn't stop him. I'm 16 and still sometimes feel like playing with dolls (I'm female). What I'm saying is it's fine, don't worry, he is a child and likes to do things other kids do, make sure he knows that dolls are for girls and other kids might tease him. He wont turn out g*y just because he likes feminine things, I have no kids, although I baby sit a little girl (nearly 2) every week for 2 nights (her dad wont stand up as a man and give her mum a break) and I have looked into the behavior of children. I am also doing a trainee ship in child care and I see male children as old as 12 playing with dolls. He should feel comfortable to be himself in his home.

I personally would disown you if you were my father, you sound like a horrible man to judge a child so young. He is still learning these things, chances are the only way he would remember even playing with the dolls is if you dont let him live it down. It's probably just a phase, he will get over it in a few weeks.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
First and Foremost, there was no reason to spank him or punish him, he did nothing wrong... Would you punish your daughter for playing with his GI Joes??? I think nbot, And there is nothing wrong with your son playing with Barbie Dolls at his age. Look at it through his eyes... He sees an action figure, a figure that he can move the arms and legs and do stuff with. He is exploring and learning through this play. It is actually a good thing that he is interesting in many things, such as barbies, he is learning that there is a wide variety of Human Beings, I mean I don't walk down the street and just see GUYS or GI Joes, Do you?? Save the punishment's for when he really does something to be punished for
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