I have noticed that I play with Matthew differently than I would a girl. Less conversational play and more rough & tumble play. Less role play and more racing trucks down the hallway. Less touchy-feely talk and more explaining how things work. And I was thinking about how women often complain that men don't communicate...don't talk/share feelings/nurture/etc...and I thought "Oh no! I'm raising a boy whose future wife might feel that way!" So I thought about getting Matthew a doll...like a boy Cabbage Patch or something...with which I could model nurturing and conversation.
I tested the whole doll thing out by introducing Matthew to two of my old dolls. Much to my dismay and Scott's secret pleasure, there was no love. There was no interest. He just grabbed them by the hair and swung them back and forth like he does his trucks. So...in lieu of a baby I began using a blue puppy dog...kissing the puppy, clothing the puppy, etc.
Well, this weekend Matthew rec'd a package from his Great Aunt Theresa, and inside was "Sweet Pea"...a little soft doll in a pea pod. As I pulled Sweet Pea out of the box to show Matthew, he kissed it! Not only once, but twice! Completely unprompted! Ahhh...early intervention! Haha! And one day his wife will thank me!
Our Thanks-for-the-Day
Getting a check back from your insurance company for overpayment! It's like FREE MONEY!
4 comments:
Aww - sweet! Good for you, breaking down the gender roles - ha ha! =) Andy has a few stuffed animals that he hugs - no kisses yet though. Maybe I'll send him to Matthew for sensitivity training!
jen
That's so sweet, him kissing it. And the stuffed animal is so cute.
Yvonne
Oh, I love that doll!!! I am totally going to look for that one.
Grant isn't interested in dolls either. He kind of looks at it with disinterest, then flings them by the hair.
Oh you are so right! I treat my son like a rag doll (joking... but I do throw him around alot when we play) & then I wonder why he's so rough on things! I know if he was a girl I would be less hesitant to power bomb his butt on the couch when he's bad. LOL!
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