[mrzmeg]

When do children start getting interested in dolls? I've read that imaginative play really takes off around three years, but some threads lately have mentioned getting a doll for children around a year old, or even younger. DS has a small 'lovey' from Under the Nile, but I wasn't thinking he'd be really interested in dolls until later.
When did your child become interested in dolls, if at all?
TIA

 

[Curious]

I bought all gender neutral toys, but MIL got Dd a thing that had a baby's face and a mouse's body, sort of a cheap version of an Ann Geddes baby in a mouse suit. She adored the thing and for months was obsessed with it.

She turned to other things, but when she was close to 2, we had several of Dd's cousins over, and she kept talking about one in particular. Finally I asked why she finds that niece, Aimee, so much more interesting than the others, and she said, "Aimee has dolls."

So I got a doll at the salvation army. Granted, cousin has groovy girls and the stuffed car, and Dd got something a little different, but she really loved the doll for awhile. Now she's into the blocks she got for her second birthday, and the life of Mrs. Jack o lantern. Imagination is vivid well before 3!

 

[Island Mommy]

DD is almost 9 months old and at the moment, her favorite toy is a plastic naked doll that someone gave us. It really surprises me. I didn't think she'd be into dolls for ages yet. She really likes to suck on her head, but she also points at her eyes and fingers etc. It's the one toy she knows the name of. We say "Where's Joanne?" (my dh named her) and dd is off and crawling looking for her doll. Funny how kids constantly surprise us.

 

[indie]

My 6.5 mo. old loves her Raggedy Ann doll. I had set it aside until she got older, but she keep going after it so I gave it to her.

 

[DalaiMama]

Ds (19 months) has just started to show an interest in his dolls in the last few weeks. Up until recently, it was as if they didn't even exist, but lately he pulls them out of the bottom of the toy box to kiss them and will occasionally bring them to me to nurse.

He has also started naming their body parts. It's like he suddenly realized that his dolls look somewhat like him, and made a connection.

 

[simcon]

We were so surprised that our daughter was very drawn to dolls at 4 months!! Her face lit up (then she sucked on the doll's head). She has a couple at this point (7.5 mos.) and they just delight her.

 

[Peppermint]

Yes! Dolls are a great toy, as early as they show interest. IMO dolls are not a gender neutral toy, unless you allow your kids to think they are only for girls, my son has dolls as well, and all of our toys, tools, and dolls, are encouraged with both children.

I have always been super crazy about trying to have my kids play with toys that are usually for the other gender, and for the most part-

: dd loves dolls and ds loves tools

So, they will do what they want either way. Actually, dd wants more tools for Christmas, so I guess she not such a girly girl after all, even if she still insists that her favorite color is pink

:LOL

I really do think though that both boys and girls should be encouraged to play with dolls, to nurse them, carry them around, and sleep with them, both of my kids do all those things, ds just started (around 2-yep he nurses his dolls) and dd has been loving dolls since before she could walk.

 

[eilonwy]

My ds picked up an octopus (or something!) at about 4 months and "talked" to it, smiling and cooing at his "baby". So I gave him a soft baby doll that my nieces had and he immediately turned it's face toward my breast, and said "Good nur!" while he took the baby's hand and patted me with it. It was hilarious and sweet!

Just make sure that if your child is young, the doll doesn't have small parts.

Babies of all ages can appreciate them, that's why there are so many different kinds of dolls.

I didn't particularly care for them as a child, but ds does and my older niece started having day care for her dolls when she was about 18 months old. She'd put them all in chairs and feed them, and then she'd put them all down on their tummies, put a blanket over them, and walk around patting their backs to put them to sleep. Too cute! :LOL

 

[4females]

My kids each got an age appropriate doll when they were born.. A little stuffed soft baby to snuggle with. My oldest dd didnt play with dolls until she was around 1, and then it was only to throw them around(she is a tom boy). My other two girls started playing dolls, really playing dolls, about 15 months and havent stopped.

 

[redsmama]

Around her 2d bday mydd started really playing with dolls. They were her favorite toy. And, at 3.5 yo she still plays with them often.

 

[mama_kass]

For Jayden's first bday I took him to the store to look at the toys and pick something from his great grand mother. He was only mildly impressed with the toys until we came to the isle with the baby dolls. He nearly jumped out of the sling trying to get to them. I bought him the baby and he loves it. He plays patty cake with it and kisses it and hugs. He likes to bring the baby to me to rock and sing. He likes to "read" the baby books. It is now his favorite toy.

 

[Marsupialmom]

My son was older 2-3 before he was interested in dolls. We had them but he could care less. He wanted blocks, cars, et things he could stack, knock over, line up, et. He was an early talker and has an out of this world imagination. He likes to build and design stuff.

My oldest girl fell in love with dolls as soon as she could call to them. She would crawl over my son to get a doll. Oddly enough there were few toy battles because her interests are so different than my son. We joked for the longest time she had no imagination. Now that she is older we see she just has a different more literal type of imagination. She is not an abstract thinker like my son and youngest. We see her becoming a lawyer or an accountant that can doctor the books. LMAO!!!!

Now my youngest is a completely different ball game. She always wanted what ever her brother and sister had. She loves dolls as much as legos. We finally got her to use the duploes and parallel play with them, instead of going for her brother's legos. She likes to play house with her sister. I notice even at a year see would parallel play with house hold toys, dolls, legos, cars, et with all of us.

 

[DebraBaker]

Mine liked dolls when they were about two.

They really started imaginative play in which they animated their dolls at about three.

I echo the advice to have some gender neutral dolls for your son to enjoy.

I gave my boys and girls dolls (although the boys wouldn't want that to be known at this age in their lives

)

db