Letting children play gender-stereotyped toys has long been debated. Boys should play toys for boys and girls should play toys for girls. But more parents are becoming more lenient about it, letting their boys play with dolls just like Tom Fletcher's wife, Giovanna Fletcher.
Giovanna Fletcher recently posted a photo of her son playing with prams and dolls and she earned praises from parents online.The 31-year-old celebrity mom shared on her Facebook a photo of Buzz pushing a pram with Ariel dolls on ir, Huffington Post noted.
"Latest obsession. Buzz is driving his Ariels around in style," she wrote. Fletcher then added the hashtag #modernmanlovesapram.
Parents commented praises for Giovanna's post that breaks gender stereotypes by letting her son play with dolls. They were happy to see a celebrity parent promote gender-neutral toys.
"This is great so many people tell me to not allow my wee boy play with dolls or prams. But surely this is what shapes them to become fantastic fathers," one comment read. Another also added, "Now wait for the judgemental people to laugh at a boy playing with dolls. My daughter loved frozen, now she loves star wars and Darth Vader, plays with cars etc. I love nothing more than seeing a child, like Buzz, playing with whatever they like. Toys shouldn't be gendered."
As reported by The Guardian, researchers have found that segregating children's toys based on gender could actually have lasting development implications. Each toy teaches children specific skills necessary for their development. For example, dolls and pretend kitchen can help children develop their language skills, as well as cognitive sequencing of events. Building blocks and puzzles help in developing children's spatial skills that can be helpful in learning their math.
If kids are prevented from playing a certain type of toys, they could be missing out on these developmental skills. The kids' toys should be based on their preferences and not on their gender, experts said.
