Anatomically correct dolls - harmful or harmless?

[PeanutBean]

I just HAD to share these two links with you:
https://www.helium.com/items/2010446-anatomically-correct-baby-dolls
https://www.helium.com/items/1506290-anatomically-correct-baby-dolls

Some of you might remember I've been looking for a baby doll for Byron. I'm STILL looking having found none that really please me. I thought about anatommically correct ones as I'd quite like Byron to be aware that girls are different. They are pretty cheap. I googled to see some options and came across the links above.

In case anyone can't be bothered to click, here are some highlights:

It's hard to be sure whether anatomically correct dolls are particularly harmful. They are not, however, necessary for small children.

Nope no purpose at all to educating small children about their bodies.

Most children, especially little girls, love these dolls.

You all know where I stand on gender stereotyping!
My favourite:

Children love figuring out how to take the clothes off of their dolls, but very few of them ever put the clothes back on. Having an anatomically correct baby doll may present an embarrassing issue when company comes around.

Bwahaha! How sensitive IS this woman?!
And the finale:

If you want to make them more correct, perhaps the answer is simply to paint underwear on them.

Hoping to find some rational thought I clicked on a second link on the topic and came across the second link above and a woman even less rational!

I tend to be a rather progressive and understanding parent, but the thought of dolls with penises and vaginas just strikes me as more than a little bit distasteful.

Nothing prudish there!

In a world that is already filled to overflowing with sex and nudity, why would we want to add to that?

An attitude just adding to the problem she thinks exists as she obviously cannot see nudity as anything other than sexual.

It begins earlier than ever to numb them to the sacred nature of their bodies.

Because children should instead be defensive and afraid of their bodies!

Our children are having their innocence disrupted earlier and earlier with every generation. Why would we, as the adults, want to steal this from them any earlier than we have to?

For innocence read ignorance. A very progressive attitude indeed!

 

[redpoppy]

I'm sorry but there is no way in hell that any anatomically correct doll could make its way into our family with a Pakistani Muslim culture. My mum still closes her eyes if a passionate kissing scene comes on at the cinema, expects me to do the same which results in my looking vigourously at the ceiling of the cinema and then to make matters worse she starts tutting. I will never be normal about these things.

 

[smokey]

Ok im going to end up showing my ignorance here now but I always thought all dolls where like that anyway???
All the dolls I had as a child had penises and vaginas so I always assumed that was normal for them
How else would they wee???
So what do most dolls actualy just have plastic manaquine type parts like how barbie did?
Clearly these type of dolls arnt realy a new thing as im talking 30 years ago so why are people concerned about them now all of a sudden?
Some things I do follow gender stereotyping on for instance I wouldnt take my son out wearing a dress but if he wanted to play dress up and play with my makeup within the house then thats fine and I dont like ear piercings on boys but toys are a completly different matter.
"cross gender" toys are a vital part of growing up to have a healthy attitude and understanding to the world.
If my boy wants to play with dolls and kitchen sets then fine, If I have a girl and she wants to play with robots, tool work benches and climb trees then go for it.
As long as they are happy, safe and having fun then who cares they are just chidren playing after all.

 

[PeanutBean]

Bless redpoppy, I never thought you'd be so squeamish!

Smokey I think most really aren't, your parents must've got them to ruin your innocence! Most are either soft bodies, so like teddies, or just plastic all round, like a Sindy or whatever.

 

[smokey]

Bless redpoppy, I never thought you'd be so squeamish!

Smokey I think most really aren't, your parents must've got them to ruin your innocence! Most are either soft bodies, so like teddies, or just plastic all round, like a Sindy or whatever.

Haha so I can blaim them after all actualy now you describe it I do remember having one with a soft body but the rest had their bits intact (one even had a little plastic imbilical cord stump) so I fail to see what the problem is.
As far as I remeber I dont actualy recall ever being fussed about the differences between them it just never occured to me that it could be "taboo"
Like I said before without their bits how on earth would they wee?
My prized toy was a weeing little boy doll that I called Eric

 

[PeanutBean]

Why Eric? lol I love the names kids give their toys. My brother is called Raphael and always wanted a normal name as a boy so he called his teddy Richard. My dolls were caled Moppet and Pansy, I don't know if I chose the names!

The ELC has a doll with the following description which also made me laugh:

Just like a newborn, this doll has a hospital wrist tag...
With a soft feel and a gentle baby powder-type fragrance.

JUST like a real newborn! They're born with Johnson's smell and hospital tags dontcha know.

 

[pinklizzy]

That's crazy! Although I had a soft-bodied doll when I was younger I remember playing with anatomically correct dolls in the 'playhouse' at school.
I still have the doll my grand-parents bought me when I was 3. Apparently my grandma was horrified when, given the choice of any doll in the shop, I shunned all the blond, blue-eyed dolls, choosing the only black doll in the shop and then announced he was a boy, called Tim!

 

[smokey]

Why Eric? lol I love the names kids give their toys. My brother is called Raphael and always wanted a normal name as a boy so he called his teddy Richard. My dolls were caled Moppet and Pansy, I don't know if I chose the names!

The ELC has a doll with the following description which also made me laugh:

Just like a newborn, this doll has a hospital wrist tag...
With a soft feel and a gentle baby powder-type fragrance.

JUST like a real newborn! They're born with Johnson's smell and hospital tags dontcha know.

I have no idea why Eric
I also had a newborn one with a plastic cord stump and a hospital wrist tag and a birth certificate that my mum filled out for me.
I got her for christmas and had a little tiny hat and romper suit for her and her name was Belinda (again no idea why I chose that name I think it had somthing to do with supergirl) and my dad made a a swinging crib for her, her bits where intact as well.
Awww I love remembering about my childhood, I thought it was so innocent untill you pointed out a had bad dolls

 

[smokey]

The other day I was talking with MIL about how I didnt have a problem with if Brian wanted a doll and OH grumbled somthing about his son isnt playing with a doll so MIL turned round and said "why, you had a doll when you where little and I couldnt prize it out your hands you even stuffed it up your jumper insisting you where pregnant" I had to laugh as he sulked back out the room

 

[PeanutBean]

at your OH! Byron thinks he has a baby in his tummy because we do.

Good on you pinklizzy!

 

[OmarsMum]

at your OH! Byron thinks he has a baby in his tummy because we do.

Good on you pinklizzy!

My 4 yrs old cousin tried to BF his baby brother

 

[PeanutBean]

Hm. I meant because I have a baby in my tummy, DH doesn't!

I think it's lovely when kiddies bf their dollies.

 

[blinkybaby]

I remember my favourite dolls when I was about 8 or 9 were a set of newborn twins (boy and girl) both anatomically correct - I used to dress the girl one up in all my old baby clothes. I don't see the problem, I think it's important for kids to know the difference between girls and boy parts! xx

 

[PeanutBean]

I think I probably will get one. I resent paying more for one to come with a bottle and dummy and pink clothes I'll throw away. I might get people to make some clothes for it (I can't knit so well), plus the hard plastic ones can go in the bath too which might be fun.

 

[blinkybaby]

What is the general consensus on adult dolls like Barbie and Ken being anatomically correct? Is it different to baby dolls? I'm on the fence...?

 

[PeanutBean]

I'd like to see them be at realistic first! Not much point giving Barbie a vagina when she wouldn't be able to stand up if she were real! It's be like Bratz having bits. They are so weird.

 

[blinkybaby]

LOL yeah I guess it's about being life-like, giving Barbie and Ken private parts would be a bit pointless.

 

[smokey]

I'd like to see them be at realistic first! Not much point giving Barbie a vagina when she wouldn't be able to stand up if she were real! It's be like Bratz having bits. They are so weird.

I remember being realy puzzled when trying to change the clothes on my ken doll to find a plastic moulded panty line

But for some reason the idea of Bratz dolls having bits does actualy realy creep me out I think its probably because thay have a charecter and background of little girls and teens associated with them and to then put vaginas on them just seems weird and pervy

 

[PeanutBean]

We had Sindys and Action Men. Action Man of course had a full on package albeit behind those pesky blue plastic briefs! I begged for a Barbie and Ken (peer pressure) and despite not being able to afford it (we were not wealthy) my parents eventually got me one of each. Peaches and Cream Barbie and Crystal Ken. I was so unimpressed with them once I had them. Especially Crystal Ken's sparkly socks! Went back to having Sindy and Action Man get it on.

 

[SKATERBUN]

Barbies boobs have got smaller