Dear Friends,
I was overjoyed when my wife gave birth to Grant, our second son, in early March. My only concern was how Bennett, our two-year-old would react. Would he get jealous like the son of a friend of mine who threw blocks at their baby or would he throw tantrums and shriek “I AM the baby,” like another toddler I know?
Happily, Bennett has embraced our new baby, bringing him blankets along with tons of hugs and kisses. While he may be a naturally caring kid, I give a great deal of credit for his behavior to Nicole, his babysitter, because she gave him a doll for Christmas. When he opened the doll, I felt frankly uneasy with the idea of him playing with it, even though I realize that gender labeling of toys is socially constructed. The best reason I can come up with for my discomfort was that I grew up having been socialized to think of toys as sex-specific.
I’m glad Bennett is growing up differently than I did. By pretending to feed or dress the doll, who his babysitter named “Avery,” Bennett develops his fine motor skills. By arranging for Avery to “go night night,” he engages in imaginative play and develops his language skills. Practicing so much caregiving for Avery, I’m convinced, has helped make him a nurturing big brother to Grant.
When I asked Nicole what gave her the idea of giving Bennett a doll, she said “playing with dolls can help boys become better husbands and fathers,” and she saw how much he liked playing with them during CMEE’s Tot Spot program. I hope you’ll encourage your boys and girls to join Bennett and play with dolls at the Children’s Museum.
Sincerely,
Steve