Creepy or totally natural?

Well clearly I'm on the losing side. However, I don't see this being pushed on children and I don't see it as a need. People moan and complain about some of the dumbest things. If you're disturbed by this, then maybe you should ask yourself why. I don't see it as a sexual thing, I don't see it as a forcing children to breast feed (which when you say it like that makes breast feeding sound dirty and unnatural), it's just kids playing and mimicking what we adults do. It is how they learn, whether you think so or not. Like Reacher pointed out, little boys play with ninja swords and fake guns...you don't think we expect them to go out and kill when they're nine do you? :blink:

Akkarin, they might not use the word offended, but maybe you need to reread some posts? Creepy and disgusted sound like words someone would use when they are offended by something. If it didn't bother them, then they wouldn't say those things.

balis, I don't see how this relates to pedophilia. ??? Also, kids aren't able to have babies but they still play with baby dolls. They aren't supposed to marry yet they play house. The stove is also off limits, but hey we've got plastic kitchens for them. Many things children pretend to do (drive, work, etc.) are things they aren't supposed to do at that age. That's why it's called playing.

You can call it creepy and disgusting, but what image are you placing in your kids heads? Will they relate it to the doll? Or the natural act a woman does when she's had a baby?

Unfortunatly I disagree with the child development expert in the article who says its better for older children :lol:

At younger then about 6 I'd say its harmless because kids are learning how to learn by mimicking adult behavior, doing what mummy is doing being the case in point. So as a learning tool its not teaching breastfeeding, but how to hold something and care for something etc. Also it gives something for the older child to do while mum is busy breastfeeding. I do not think it actually sucks the kids nipple so its not creepy to me. Above that age though, I think they are learning things to actually use later on to develop understanding, and this device then might start to become pointless as a learning tool. So ok for young kids but useless beyond that.

hi,yes see i have a daughter and two sons,and yes my daughter plays house and etc.but when my daughter goes outside,she and her older brother plays along,and many men out there who have a history of sexually molesting little kids sees my daughter having a doll acting like her nipples are being sucked by it,they get a hard on,that why i said that.there many disgusting men and women out there,and i don't believe these dolls could help the kids.why don't people explain to their kids about it,then letting them play with a doll who acts like shes sucking her breasts,people today are lazy .i am sorry that's my opinion.I am not here trying to offend anybody we are all entitled to our beliefs,but as a father i am simply stating my concern if my daughter were to attempt using this type of a doll in a public setting it just does not seem appropriate to me. I am not here to fight or go against those who think it is right,but for respect of everyone else's opinions i said my thoughts and i won't say no more..

If we took away every game and toy kids play with that turn on pedophiles then our kids would have nothing to do but sit in their rooms with nothing to do.

But who really wants to discuss that topic? :sick:

Old dolls weren't babies, they were friends to play with. it may seem odd but I think that's a huge difference.

That's a good point, ren. I'm sure dolls were/are often used as a friend. Though, I'm not sure you can say that they all were and that there wasn't a rogue girl or two who pretended it was a baby. I know my teddy was used as a companion vs a baby...not that he couldn't fill whatever role might have been required. :silly:

Now I'm going to have to ask my grandma about her friends and how they played.

I do not find this doll to be creepy in the least. Breastfeeding is natural, as is the tendency of children to emulate the behavior of adults thru play. What I find "creepy" is the shear volume of supposedly "enlightened" individuals here who's minds immediately go to pedophilia. I would question the morality of anyone who sees breastfeeding as "sexual", and I worry for the state of the country/world when we can't get passed these repression based taboos to see the truth.

I think that it's healthy and wonderful that they're producing dolls to teach girls, from a young age, that there is nothing wrong with breastfeeding. In my mind, that indicates that we might actually be "growing up" as a species. I think that our views of when/where it is acceptable for adult women to breastfeed are irrelevant to this topic, except to note that the people who have issues with that will likely have issues with this doll. But we are all expected to work thru our issues to become psychologically healthy.

When I was a child, I had friends with younger siblings, including sisters. I witnessed my friends' younger sisters pretend to breastfeed their baby dolls. This was the early/mid 80s...they would never have even considered trying to market such a doll then. The inspiration these girls had for pretending to breastfeed was their breastfeeding mothers. The point here is: girls (tho obviously not all) have been pretending to do this for decades or more already. You just didn't know it because they didn't market toys specifically for it, and you weren't exposed.

There is much more to be said on this topic, but I think I'm done.

Wendaline wrote: That's a good point, ren. I'm sure dolls were/are often used as a friend. Though, I'm not sure you can say that they all were and that there wasn't a rogue girl or two who pretended it was a baby. I know my teddy was used as a companion vs a baby...not that he couldn't fill whatever role might have been required. :silly:

Now I'm going to have to ask my grandma about her friends and how they played.

I know I shouldn't generalize, but old dolls wore regular clothes and looked (more or less) like young (non-baby) children....

In an effort to help describe, and to further support Ren's point: The dolls referred to (by Ren), look like our "collectable" porcelain dolls today. I have seen some of the "old" dolls like he's talking about. You wanna talk about creepy... :laugh:

Yeah, I've seen those dolls too. Weren't some actually made to look like the little girl who played with them? A mini me of sorts? I doubt many girls back in the day could afford one of those, however. Flower dolls, rag dolls, paper dolls, wooden dolls, corn dolls, the list is endless. Some girls used/use the household cat or dog as their baby/patient/partner in crime. Kids have awesome imaginations.