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First Friends
Doll Play Holds Valuable Life Lessons
By John W. Lee
Have you ever marveled at how your little girl instinctively knows to cradle her baby doll? Or how even your most rough-and-tumble toddler son switches into his "soft" voice when speaking to his favorite stuffed animal? This amazing capacity for nurturing that even very young children demonstrate is brought out during doll play. From "first babies" or "lovies " that have been cuddle objects since they were born to baby dolls, stuffed animals, role-play dolls, action figures and beyond, children are fascinated with and spend a great deal of time imagining with dolls.
Doll play is important in helping children explore how to grow up and take on the role of the future adult. The care, feeding and nurturing that is brought out in doll play is basic human instinct. By encouraging this capacity in young children, we help instill the ability to give selflessly and care for others, and we hopefully help raise a more caring adult.
Perhaps one of the reasons doll play has resonated throughout the ages is that it fosters a great deal of make-believe play. Dolls give children today the same wonderful imaginative play experiences as they did centuries ago. Children playing with dolls bring all their warmth, empathy and caring out in a very real way.
