Help me decide... DS (6) only wants Dora's Talking House for Christmas!!!

[padams]

I was looking through catalogs last night, and saw that Sensational Beginnings and FAO Schwartz had fire stations. Their online websites probably have them too.

 

[TammyJ]

I absolutely think you should buy it.

I also agree with another poster who recommended Playmobil. My duaghter (5) has lots of Playmobil and my DS (2) loves to play with them. I imagine as he gets older the theme of those toys will become more "masculine" and they grow with the kids better.

 

[JerJan]

BUY IT!!!! When my nephew was 3 years old (14 years ago) the only things he wanted for Christmas were a POCAHONTAS BARBIE and a ROLLER SKATING BARBIE....my brother, a macho firefighter in real life, bought him both of them!!!! I've never been more proud of my brother!

 

[GEM]

Good for your brother!

Last Christmas, when DS was about 20 months old, my mom asked him what he wanted for Christmas. Without hesitation he answerd "a baby". So, my mom got him a really sweet little baby doll, the kind that cries, closes her eyes, etc. He LOVED it (still does, actually).

Anyway, a month or so after that, his speech therapist was at our house for his session and Paul was carrying around his "baby". The therapist asked where he got it and I said that his Nana got it for him for Christmas. She made a funny face and said, "I bet Daddy pitched a fit about that one." I was blown away by the comment. I said that, no, he certainly hadn't. In fact, Paul and Daddy had just been feeding "baby" breakfast together earlier that morning. And, if Daddy had "pitched a fit" over a harmless little baby doll (which he never would have done), I certainly would have set him straight! You would think that a trained therapist would know the value of role playing toys - dolls, kitchens, whatever - for kids of both sexes!

By the way, Paul is sitting on my lap right now holding his pink balloon. It's the one he picked out yesterday at the store. He could have picked any color, but he wanted pink, so we got him pink. We didn't say, "How about this nice blue one?" or "Wouldn't you rather have the red one?" If the kid wants pink, he gets pink. We've obviously doomed him to a life of gender confusion.

Anyway, hope the OPs son gets his Dora house and I hope he has a BLAST with it!!

 

[lil.disney.princess]

my DS is nearly 3 and he is dora crazy!!he loves it and i have brought him the talking backpack toy and a dora figure bath toy thing,and jigsaws..........the only problem i have with the dora stuff is everything tends to be girly pink........i wish the makers would wake up and see that not every child that likes dora is female!!-

i would buy my ds the house if it was something he wanted!!

 

[alisonbestford]

I hope that by now you've bought it

DS (now 18) loved dolls and cuddly toys when he was small. In fact he only stopped sleeping with his cuddly, pink, toy mouse when DD was born, 11 years later, when he gave it to her

I was amazed in the supermarket the other day though when I saw an absolutely distraught mum literally screaming at her DS (around 3 yrs) because he wanted a tube of lipstick and she said no as lipstick is for girls .
Now, call me strange but I guess I'd have bought him some, or at least suggested that he wait until we got home when he could borrow mine
He was just as upset as she was, bless him

I know that DH, in his heyday, wore makeup and nail varnish so what could I have said?

 

[Kimmielee]

On eBay for a great price... the house, 6 sets of furniture, 11 figures, the backyard playset, the pool and deck AND the nursery, all new in the box... it's called the "ultimate set".... all for $112.50!

I can't wait... and I saved so much that I did some research and am buying him the playmobil farm... THANKS to everyone for their advice and comments. The stories you shared made me feel so much better! DIS friends are the best!

 

[TammyJ]

Oh, the thought of it just makes me happy. Your son will have a wonderful Christmas...if you've never bought Playmobil allow a lot of time to assemble (we've learned to preassemble as much as possible) but it is sooo worth it in the end.

 

[solferino]

Playmobil is great! We have some friends who switched legs on their big dining room table so they were short, like coffee table height. And their kids have the whole thing covered with a Playmobil village! It's so cool and because it's so big many kids are able to use it together with little squabbling over space issues. Another thing that's so lovely about the system is it also covers a broad range of ages and interests.

 

[java]

Playmobil is great! We have some friends who switched legs on their big dining room table so they were short, like coffee table height. And their kids have the whole thing covered with a Playmobil village! It's so cool and because it's so big many kids are able to use it together with little squabbling over space issues. Another thing that's so lovely about the system is it also covers a broad range of ages and interests.

Oh my gosh what a good idea on the table..I "collect" kitchen tables(not on purpose it just happens that way) so I could totally just cut down the legs on one of them and set up all the playmobile in the basement!! We already have a train table in the toyroom that has matchbox city on it right now. LOL

 

[palmtreegirl]

On eBay for a great price... the house, 6 sets of furniture, 11 figures, the backyard playset, the pool and deck AND the nursery, all new in the box... it's called the "ultimate set".... all for $112.50!

I can't wait... and I saved so much that I did some research and am buying him the playmobil farm... THANKS to everyone for their advice and comments. The stories you shared made me feel so much better! DIS friends are the best!

Cool! Make sure and post an update after Christmas, sounds like your DS is going to be one happy little boy!

 

[swilshire]

I didn't read the other replies, but here's my take.

My DS6 also loves Dora. If that's what your son REALLY wants, let him have it. We never limited my older sons to "boy" toys and they turned out fine. They often played with their sister's dolls and even had a few of their own.

It will have much more impact if you make a big deal out of it than if you just go with the flow and let him play with what he likes.

Sheila

 

[susykt4]

I'd totally buy him the Dora dollhouse if that's what he wants. Check out Playmobil for some awesome playsets of all kinds for future gifts.

 

[LibertyLover]

My DD3 has one and the only thing I can tell you is make sure you know where the batteries are so that you can take them out and make the ^#@$%@&! doorbell stop ringing At least the Dora house isn't like the FP playhouse that someone gave her last year that had a flushing toilet - now that one really drove us crazy If that's what your DS wants I say go for it. Get him the Diego figure with Baby Jaguar and let him have fun.

 

[Magalex]

Just wanted to say my 5 yr old DS loves all the NICKJR shows esp. Backyardigans. Still sings along with the Wiggles. Just pointed out a Bob the Builder toy made more for the toddler age. Shortly this magical time will disappear and I won't have anyone to sing Wiggles/Sesame Street songs with.
Yes Playmobile toys are wonderful. He has the Pirate ship. He will received a castle on Christmas day. Loves the Rescue Heroes too

 

[MamaLema]

I don't know if I would buy it for my sons, but don't worry!!

DS loved Dora when he was 6, and now that he's 7, he presses mute on the TV whenever commercials for Dora toys comes on

 

[jessica52877]

I sell tons on ebay and have sold several Dora items to people looking for their sons! I also have a son of my own, not quite 3, if that was what he wanted, he would have it, it is in really no way geared for girls. We have a little tikes dollhouse and my son loves it, I just call it a playhouse, he often puts his disney characters in it. He also has a CPK and kitchen. I find nothing wrong with any of these toys and like another poster said, I see them in several houses with boys only!

He will have quite a magical christmas morning! Enjoy it, they are only little once.

Jessica

 

[Chris]

I'd buy it for him! Esp. if it's the only thing he's asking for.

 

[turnlisa]

I am so glad to see all of these positive responses. My youngest DS has long been in love with the princesses, Dora, etc. and his favorite color is pink. My brothers have a real problem with this but my DH and I are letting him make his own decisions. Last year, he was dying for the princess dolls from the Disney store. He has 6 of them -- spent lots of time playing with them with his aunts, grandmother, etc. He tends to balance things with Digimon and Power Rangers. When he said he wanted to eat with the princesses this year, I booked it. We had so much fun last year and all the pictures of my boys with princesses are priceless. They are only young once!

 

[kman1011]

My DS is 3 1/2 and we have bought him the dora house for xmas as well. He is a dora nut. He has Dora slippers as well(that was kind if hard for me to do since they were Pink but he loves em.
I did have to put my foot down when he wanted a dora dress- hope I'm not to mean.