Should boys play with dolls?

My daughter loves trucks. Tonka trucks, Matchbox cars – anything that she can roll on the table while making sputtering noises. I love that she plays with “boy toys” just as much as she does with her baby dolls.

But one of my friends is worried about her son who plays with baby dolls all the time. He also enjoys having tea parties, dressing up and being the mommy while playing house.

I keep telling my friend that it’s healthy and a good thing for kids to play with toys that are traditionally for the opposite sex.

But she still wonders if she should encourage him to play with more manly toys. If he doesn’t ditch the dollies, she worries he’ll be overly feminine as an adult or fail to develop his masculine side.

I don’t think that’s something she can control.

Even if she yanks the baby doll away from him, that might just make him repress his nurturing personality in favor of tanks and GI Joes. And we could definitely use some more sensitive guys in this world who don’t think blowing things up is life’s answer to everything.

What do you think – is it OK for boys to play with dolls and other “girl toys”?