Dolls and Boys

In any Waldorf Kindergarten there are generally plenty of soft bodied dolls to go around.  Even into first grade there is usaully a small corner in the classroom set aside for play including dolls.  My husband recalls how he always longed for a doll when he was a child - but a baby doll for a boy?  Not happening in his house but he did have a soft bodied Spiderman doll that he loved dearly.

I am glad that we have no problem allowing our boys access to doll play.  The boys don't often take an interest in the dolls - they are much too busy building, sword fighting, and generally rolling around and getting into trouble.  But every once in a while some little bit of inspiration strikes them and I find dolls in some curious places.  Like stuffed in the shark shaped back- pack.

"Uh Christian - did this shark eat the doll?"

"No Mama - the doll lives inside the shark and eats the meat."

Hmmm - we'll just put that in the *sorry I asked category*.

But other times you come across such scenes of sincere gentleness that I wonder if someone had snatched my son and left some other child in his place.  As was the case recently with youngest seven year old Aidan a couple of weeks ago.  It must have started with an offhand remark I made while "helping" the boys to clean up their room.  I happened to say "Oh we'll have to get all the dollies dressed for Christmas".  A couple of days later Aidan asked for the dolls clothes box and soon everyone was dressed and in their own beds.  We don't have a bed for every doll  but Aidan remembered that Katie had made hammocks for the dolls one day with a couple of our silks.

And then later that night all the dollies needed to be changed into jammies and tucked in for the night.