Monday, January 28, 2008

Boys and their Toys

I am starting this post around 11:45, I am going to make sure it takes me a while to finish so I can post it on Tuesday and keep my streak going- that would be 2 posts in 2 days for those of you who are counting.....

As many of my readers know (I say that as if I have millions of readers, if I am lucky, I have 5) my nephew is the love of my life. Not only is he adorable, funny and a great cuddle partner, he isn't mine so I can give him back to his mother when he starts acting up. Anyway, since he is the love of my life I tend to spoil him a little. Not to the point that he is a brat because I refuse to allow him to become a brat, I do however, enjoy seeing him smile when he gets something new and I love watching him play with the stuff I get him. Mostly books because he loves to "read" and now that he knows his letters it is as if he is reading since he looks at the page and tells you every letter on it.

Anyway I am digress..... he is and has been a big Sesame Street fan, it started with Elmo but it has slowly progressed to all of the Sesame characters. He says "Cookie" the same way Cookie Monster does and he loves Zoe almost as much as Elmo does. He is starting to really like Bert and Ernie, he even knows that Burt loves to take a bath and has rubber duckie. Big Bird is quickly becoming a favorite of his too. As a result of his love of Sesame Street, he walks around with several stuffed animals at one time, always Cookie and Elmo and sometimes Big Bird and Zoe too. He isn't allowed to take them out of the house because my sister knows the drama that would ensue if he lost one of the beloved.

The other night my sister was out with some people and someone asked her "Does BBoy still play with dolls?"

My sister was a little taken aback and didn't know how to respond so she said "What are you talking about, he doesn't play with dolls"

Still not sure what they are referring to, my sister looks a little puzzled, someone else pipes in with "are you talking about Elmo and Cookie? I hardly consider them dolls"

They respond with "my husband would have a fit if I ever let my son play with that stuff."


I wonder does playing with stuffed animals make a 2 year old boy less masculine? He also plays with cars, trucks and blocks, not that it matters. He is a child who loves clothes and getting dressed, always has to pick out his own outfits, loves his shoes (say it sues) his croc boots were his favorite Christmas present, he put them on immediately and walked around the house in them all day long..... does that make him less of a man? Does it matter that he wears crocs? Should we not let him watch Sesame Street and make him watch Transformers? Does it really matter what he plays with? Should we be excited that he is intelligent enough to make the connection between the character he sees on TV and reads about in books? Isn't it great that he is 2 and knows the difference between his crocs and his sneakers? He loves to read and would rather do that than watch TV, he loves broccoli and would rather have a carrot than a cookie. Does that make him a freak of nature? I guess the morale of my story is who cares what children are playing with, "boy" or "girl" as long as it is envoking creatativity and the use of their imagination.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

We have talked about this and you know what I think. My cousin Richie played with a Cabbage Patch forever - and he is the most masculine men I know. BLEH!

Anna M said...

Those are not dolls. Those are stuffed animals. How did your sister not punch that bitch in the face?

Babe, if you go to post options you can change the time of the post.

Your nephew is precious!

Love-your former BFF in FL.

Vee said...

that is ridiculous, he is a child! ugh, i don't like it when people say things like that. My son still sleeps with Nemo and he is seven and it is nothing wrong or girly about that. so don't worry about what that lady says, ok?!
:)