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Parents Say Breastfeeding Doll Will Make Kids Get Pregnant
Talk about your giant LEAP to conclusions. Remember the totally gimmicky breastfeeding doll with faux nipples for your kid to strap on?
Parents are calling out the Bebe Gloton breastfeeding doll for encouraging early pregnancy.
That noise? That was a collective snort of derision on behalf of the Strollerderby crew. Please excuse us. We’re just not ready to jump on the creating mass hysteria bandwagon with Dr. Manny Alvarez, health editor over at Fox News.
The good doc (whose background is in obstetrics, by the by) says the strap-on nipple set up and hungry, hungry doll might speed up maternal urges in little girls.
“Pregnancy has to entail maturity and understanding. It’s like introducing sex education in first grade instead of seventh or eighth grade. Or, it could inadvertently lead little girls traumatised. You never know the effects this could have until she’s older,” Alvarez said.
Hmm. Breastfeeding is traumatizing now? Better lock our older kids in the closet while we feed the little ones from now on! Oh, wait, yeah, that might be traumatizing. Send them off to play in traffic instead?
Needless to say, I’m calling the maternal urges argument on this particular doll a load of hooey. Because what do most little kids do when faced with ANY doll? Yup, they play parent – regardless of the child’s gender. And I’ve seen a fair amount of little kids “breastfeed” their dolls because to them, that’s part and parcel of the parenting gig. With no need for strap ons, it’s why I’d call the Bebe Gloton a silly gimmick.
But I would allow that the breastfeeding doll helps reduce the sexualization of breasts, not enhances it as so many parents are claiming. If anything, breastfeeding a doll brings home a little extra dose of reality of parenthood. Not one I think a toddler will catch on to, but still, not exactly glamorizing motherhood (really, a strap-on seems to be totally the OPPOSITE of sexy in this instance).
So are you afraid your kid is going to get preggers early because they breastfed their doll?
Image: Bebe Gloton
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0 Comments
[...] I’ve got to say it: if your kid is dying to have sex, he or she is going to. It doesn’t take a breastfeeding doll to make them want it. Or a cheap pregnancy [...]
Parents Say Cheap Pregnancy Test Make Teens Have Sex | Strollerderby commented on Aug 19 09 at 10:28 ampatricia commented on Aug 07 09 at 11:45 amPreposterous. Though I did find the strap on bra thingy a bit weird.
Ali commented on Aug 07 09 at 10:20 pmThere is no way to unsexualize the breast in American society. It is part of our culture. Do you have sex with a shirt on? Are the boobs off limits during foreplay as they are not sexual?
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Aug 08 09 at 12:13 amYes Ali. Nothing ever changes in culture, so why try? *headdesk*
patricia commented on Aug 08 09 at 8:56 amI’m not sure why breast can’t be sexual in some contexts and not in others anyway. I don’t have any problem seeing my boobs as functional while my baby is nursing and sexual when it’s grown up time. Why is this so hard for people??
cocobean commented on Aug 08 09 at 2:59 pmAs a matter of fact Ali sometimes I do have sex with a shirt on. And sometimes my boobs are never included in foreplay! And sometimes they are included (gasp!) Grow up! Boobs are sexual and not sexual depending on the situation. It’s people with narrow minded views like yours that make breastfeeding such a taboo thing. By the way I do think this doll is strange, I mean really strap on nipples! wierd! I think a child can use there imagination just fine without the strap on nipples.
Brooke commented on Aug 10 09 at 10:09 pmClassic sexism. A female child shouldn’t be allowed to breastfeed a doll, because men might find it sexual or she want to have sex to become a mom. Ugh. Doesn’t everyone realize by this point that there are no limits to what some perverted person will find as sexual and also that at some point in their lives women want to have sex…because they enjoy it? I mean seriously what are these people afraid of that this doll will cause a reaction that would happen anyways? Oh no.
Lucky commented on Aug 11 09 at 12:16 amAnyone else notice that these “nipples” are actually flower petals? Seems to make the bra part a little superfluous. Anyway I like the comparison. As far as sexualized breasts goes… I happen to like my breasts sexualized and had no problem nursing with them. Why don’t we worry less about taking the sexuality out of breasts and therefore making breastfeeding less taboo, and worry more about taking the taboo out of sex so that sexuality and breastfeeding can both been seen as natural and shameless.
Kris commented on Aug 14 09 at 7:46 pmI think this doll is a great idea. I nursed both my son and my daughter. My daughter actually nursed until she was two, she is four now. Shes always loved dolls and will play house in her room all the time. The sad thing is she feeds her babies with bottles all the time. I am pregnant with my third child and she was excited to help feed him/her with a bottle when its born. I had to explain to her that I will be feeding the baby from my breast and that I didnt want to have the baby take a bottle but she could help me while he/she is nursing with other things. She still doesnt fully understand and I think its sad. My daughter understands bottles, its in every package with baby dolls on the market. Its nice to know that instead of including a plastic bottle to stick in a baby dolls mouth that we now have other options. Most children that play with dolls and pretend to nurse, as my son did when he was little seeing me nurse my daughter, I think they have to actually see a mother nurse their baby to understand, to copy the action. If all they see are plastic bottles on tv and in toystores then how are they to realize there is a way to do it without the bottle?
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