Dolls and Cars
Feb. 15th, 2010 07:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emma_in_dreamPearl loves her dollies, loves carrying them around and feeding them and kissing them.
The obvious interpretation of this is to say 'she is such a little girl'.
But while she does gravitate towards dolls and traditionally girly things, it's not like she does this in a vacuum. I try not to push her towards one set of toys or another - she owns the same number of toy cars as she does dollies - but I am sure I telegraph my approval of her when she plays with dolls. Frankly I find them a lot more interesting than the toy cars.
Me, observing her push a car: Broom! Vroom! Go car!
Me, observing her hug her bear: Oh, how sweet! Let's feed bear.
It's not that I approve of her doing traditionally feminine things - it's that I approve of the traditionally feminine things. I was reading to a friend's little boy and he brought out a string of phenomenally dull books about tractors and trains. Seriously, no people, just machines. So dull.
Whereas interacting with dolls and reading books about people - interesting! Something I value!
So I feel like I encourage her to do traditionally feminine things, and if she were a boy I'd be doing the same thing.
The obvious interpretation of this is to say 'she is such a little girl'.
But while she does gravitate towards dolls and traditionally girly things, it's not like she does this in a vacuum. I try not to push her towards one set of toys or another - she owns the same number of toy cars as she does dollies - but I am sure I telegraph my approval of her when she plays with dolls. Frankly I find them a lot more interesting than the toy cars.
Me, observing her push a car: Broom! Vroom! Go car!
Me, observing her hug her bear: Oh, how sweet! Let's feed bear.
It's not that I approve of her doing traditionally feminine things - it's that I approve of the traditionally feminine things. I was reading to a friend's little boy and he brought out a string of phenomenally dull books about tractors and trains. Seriously, no people, just machines. So dull.
Whereas interacting with dolls and reading books about people - interesting! Something I value!
So I feel like I encourage her to do traditionally feminine things, and if she were a boy I'd be doing the same thing.
