After I got my flu shot at Target I got a $5 coupon back to shop with. What the heck, I thought. I’ll go get my son a toy. So I walked back there and nothing is quite right.

He already has several “ride on” toys. He has a few music makers. He has blocks, and sooo many books. He’s a little young for Duplo or magnetic blocks. So then I see the baby dolls. Great! We are expecting a sister for him next year, so a baby doll would be perfect for him to practice with. Learning gentle touches and being nurturing, all good things! Who could object? I picked out a sweet, inexpensive, baby doll (with brown skin, hey if we’re learning things let’s kick some anti-racism in there).

I got home and my husband had a minor freak out. I was so surprised, because he’s usually quite progressive. He does more than his share of cooking and housework. Handles diapers like a champ. We both work. What the heck? He later walked it back a little, saying he just didn’t want me spending money on a doll when our son had not expressed previous interest himself. Well, okay, but we never had a doll for him to express any interest in. We have like a million trucks and cars, a few stuffed animals. Yeah he loves all the “boy” stuff and I’m not taking those away....

So anyway, I went and looked online for stuff related to boys and baby dolls, and all the research backs me up. It helps them develop social, emotional, and cognitive skills. They can practice putting on clothes, and their own self-feeding skills.

Just wanted to put this out there. Buy your boys a doll.

Ps. Hubby got over it pretty quick, and didn’t blink when our son picked out another smaller baby himself at a different toy store a month later.