Dolls are a few of the oldest toys that kids have ever played with. Their use was recorded around 100 AD in Greece. There's good reason for these toys to be so long lasting through history. They are a representation of the child and allow for a child to acquire a greater understanding of these as well as those around them. Playing with dolls may provide important growth, while gender roles dictate that dolls are a toy for girls. Playing with dolls solidifies social abilities that are gained in a child's early years. When kids play house, they learn to communicate with one another kindly and collaborate. By taking care of a doll, they learn how to take care of one another.Responsibility. Children are learning responsibility, by learning important skills at an early age. They learn by playing with it how to take care of a doll. Learning learn how to care for their pets, or older siblings easily know how to care of their younger siblings. Empathy Compassion.Another significant social skill that children learn when playing with dolls is the way to process emotions such as empathy and compassion. Just like caring for their doll teaches responsibility, it enables them to develop into caring people and teaches them to empathize with those around them. Imagination.Dramatic play, the kind of play that occurs when children play with dolls, helps develop a child's imagination as they experience creative, imagined scenarios with their dolls and other kids. Language. Playing with dolls in addition to their friends, kids run into situations that are new and special for their own games. By filling it with language that is sensible communicating between one another can strengthen their vocabulary. Children gain insight into house routines that could be different from their own, by communicating in this way with their friends.
Playing with baby dolls is also a wonderful way for young children to prepare for the arrival of a sibling. Parents can model ways to appropriately touch and care for an infant which could give the sib-to-be a flavor of what they can expect. Once the baby arrives, the new big-sib can care for their own baby doll right alongside mother and dad. This may be particularly helpful since it is quite normal (for obvious reasons) for the older sibling to never get as much attention when the baby arrives. Being able to have their own action -- but still feel connected to the parent(s) and family -- can help a child ease into having an additional member in the family. Some kids will prefer to play out these same scenarios with other stuffed toys or miniatures because they feel better connected to them or they require the play to be removed (less real to the actual situation) than playing with baby dolls. I'm mentioning this because I don't need parents/caregivers to believe that just because a child doesn't play with baby dolls they practice and can not learn these skills. But I do believe that infant dolls offer children something unique that other toys just can't do.
Eliminating clothes: Though some clothing items are easier to remove than others (like those baby socks that never stay on their little feet!) , before doing so for themselves, kids gain from trying it out. Taking clothes off is usually mastered prior to placing it on and includes removing items like hat, socks (pulling from the top instead of pulling on the feet ), shoes, top, using a pincer grip to sew, pulling down pants, and unbuttoning large buttons. Some common clothing items kids can practice on dolls and themselves include placing a hat on their head, zipping with some help, putting shoes on, pulling up pants, putting on a shirt, and buttoning huge buttons. Using both hands This ability is expected to emerge around a half and a year and will coincide with the development of skills such as zipping/unzipping or holding . Feeding: As children play skills develop, so do their self-feeding abilities! Playing with a baby doll gives them the opportunity to practice suitably holding and using feeding items such as spoons, bottles, cups, forks, bowls, etc..
Children use play to understand their world. black reborn dolls play helps children: practice caring and nurturing (socio-emotional)re-enact interactions with their own caregivers, family, and friends (cognitive reframing) prepare for a sibling (rehearsal). Irrespective of a child's gender, these skills are valuable life lessons. They may be mimicking how they recall being cared for as a kid, or how they see adults in their world caring for kids. Just as children copy parents talking on the telephone, working in the kitchen, vacuuming, etc., doll play is no different. It's children's way by practicing these events, to comprehend and begin to make the world their own. Play is a way for kids to things which have happened in their own lives. Doing this enables them to increase their understanding of the events. They are also able to take on the opposite role, which allows them to see things from another's perspective (SUCH an important skill to get!) . Many times children will enjoy taking on the role in order for them to feel a sense of power and control. This makes complete sense because kids have very little control over their world (for some essential and good reasons). Giving a child the opportunity to have control and some power in play allows them to give it a try in a way.
Children learn plenty of language through their play and play provides them opportunities to use and practice their speech and language abilities. Let's look at only some of the language concepts that a baby doll can help teach and encourage: Body Parts: Dolls are FANTASTIC for teaching different body parts: eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, palms, stomach, feet, feet, knees, elbows, etc.. Yes, you can teach these with no baby doll but providing another opportunity to practice labeling this vocabulary can help to generalize the language to other men and women. It helps to teach children that"nose" not only refers to the thing in their own face but to all faces. Putting on and taking off the clothes also works on fine motor skills! Basic Concepts: Use baby with other infant toys (bed, blankets) to teach some basic concepts like: prepositions (baby in the bed, baby under the blanket), colors, and size concepts (using different sized dolls). Verbs/Feelings: Use the baby with another baby toys (bottle, bed, clothes) to educate verbs/feelings/etc. We ought to give him something to eat!" Answering"wh" questions: You can ask your child an array of questions to work on his understanding of these words while he performs. "Where is baby?" "What does the baby want to eat?" "Why is the baby crying?" Social/pragmatic skills: Baby dolls can be a terrific tool to use to help educate appropriate social/pragmatic skills. Children can take turns playing different dolls, and they are able to practice using language to ask questions about the dolls and what they are doing.
Bathing: Children can practice giving their doll a bath (with pretend water if the doll isn't permitted to get wet)! This is great for practicing sequencing skills (first fill up the bathtub, then put on shampoo, then rinse hair, etc.). I also have used dolls in therapy to help kids move beyond their fear of bathing by having them help me give the doll a pretend bath using all the necessary supplies (so they get used to the sensory experience from the water, shampoo, etc. and can have more control over the encounter ). We discuss the supplies needed and the steps taken during bath time, and then they can narrate the measures and comfort the doll during"bath time" while playing out a simple or elaborate feign story. (A plastic Potato Head also works great with this experience.) Parents have been so pleased when their kid eventually agrees to get in the tub after practicing with the doll for weeks on end!Grooming Hygiene: Dolls provide the perfect opportunity for practicing grooming and hygiene skills such as brushing hair, brushing teeth, and washing hands. Potty training: While I don't have a lot of experience on this front (yet!) While skills such as indicating discomfort over soiled pants and sitting on a potty seat with help are skills a child must grow in him or herself, they may be played out on the doll either from the caregiver or the child him/herself. For example:"Uh oh! He feels yucky", or "Okay, Baby, time to sit on the potty!"
The baby doll is a amazing toy that we expect ALL children .will have the chance to own and play during the toddler years. This is because baby dolls are packed with potential. Let us take a look! Baby dolls provide children lots of opportunities for developing their cognitive, fine motor, and abilities. Kids often find it much easier to practice these skills on someone (or something) else before they can apply them to themselves. And because girls frequently develop not some of their fine motor and self-dressing skills than boys, it's important for them to be exposed to more opportunities for training. For instance: Dramatizing using a doll: About two to three years old, children begin to behave as if their doll can see and interact together. They may link several activities with the doll in sequence such as feeding the doll, bathing the doll, and then putting the doll to bed. This sort of pretend play is a hugely important part of their cognitive development.