Mommy Mondays: Boys and Babies

It started simply enough.  A couple of weeks ago, when I went to pick Thatbaby up from preschool, he was pushing a doll around in a shopping cart - "Yook mama, I pushing baby in stroller." 

The next few times I came to pick him up, he was similarly playing with one of the dolls, taking pride in showing me his "baby." 

At his parent teacher conference, his teacher asked if Thatboy and I knew CPR, because he was often found doing what looked like compressions on the baby dolls.  (We figured out he was mimicking putting on Vick's vapor-rub, like Thatboy did with him before bed).  His teacher was quick to point out that it was "okay" for Thatbaby to play with dolls, because he might be a daddy some day.  Thatboy and I exchanged glances.

At the time, our son was wearing pink nail polish, because he saw me putting some on.  Which is why he asks for "my little lipstick" when he sees me putting on my makeup. Our son, who owns a pink shopping cart.  Who clambers to ride in the "purple car" (which is really pink) at the supermarket.  Who wears my shoes around the house.  Him playing with dolls, is not a concern for us.

Thatbaby is going through a definite "baby phase" right now.  He's been pointing at everything and calling it "his baby."  One morning he held out the zipper on his pajamas to me and told me it was his baby.  He had a gift certificate for Toys 'r Us which we thought would be put to good use in getting him a baby of his own.  We thought we'd let him pick it out his own.  While looking for a doll, he found a motorcycle behind one of the boxes and was transfixed.  Yes.  This is why I have not one concern about my son wanting to play with dolls.  Because he doesn't know that "motorcycles are for boys and dolls are for girls."  Such a statement doesn't exist in his little head.  He wants to play with them both.  And why shouldn't he?

Thatbaby loves trains, dinosaurs, blocks, balls, and right now, he's into dolls.  I'm not worried about what this says about his gender preferences.  I don't qualify it by explaining that boys need to take care of babies, because they'll be daddies.  Instead, I take it at face value.  He likes to play with dolls.  One day, he might not.  And that's okay too.  Right now, before he learns what society expects of him, he gets to decide.  And we'll support that in any way possible.

Thatbaby asked to open his baby as soon as we were out of the store (or before...that may have been how I got him out of the store because he wanted to bring home just about everything he saw.) On the ride home he alternated between making her cry "Baby crying.  I push her." and making her feel better "I hug her.  She happy."

Baby, who doesn't have a name, takes baths with Thatbaby, and he tucks her in to her bed at night (in his wagon).  He rocks her in his swing, asking me to sing Rock-a-bye-baby to the both of them.  Frankly, I think it's adorable.