Play Kitchen for Boys? and Pacifier Use?

the best chefs are men. I would absolutely buy my little boy a kitchen and a chefs hat to go with it!. Unfortunately most of the kitchens are targeted at girls so i would look on craigslist or ebay for an older one....those are typically beige and the play food is of much better quality.(who knows maybe buying your boy a kitchen will give him a natural comforting interest in cooking and one day he will make a good husband, lol)

BTW....target has the best set of stainless steel play pots and pans with utensils. I got it for my daughter and her pink/purple kitchen and she LOVED it.

AS far as the pacifier, i would just throw it away and introduce another comfort object.

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My three boys had a play kitchen. This is not 1955. By the time my boys leave home I expect them to be able to cook, wash their clothes, use a vacuum and do any other domestic chores that are part of life. I'm sure their future wives will expect it!

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I have seen toddler girls and boys enjoy a kitchen play set equally.
Who cares what "some people" think anyway? Better get used to the fact that EVERYONE has an opinion, especially when it doesn't affect THEIR life or child! LOL

He's had the binky for too long already and the longer he has it, the harder it is to let it go. Keep it in his crib, at the very least, for naps & bedtime only.

I ditched the pacifier at 6 mos. per the book, because I didn't want it to be harder to do later.

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it's totally fine for boys to have a play kitchen. It could create an interest and future career in the culinary arts.
I took away the pacifier at 1 year for my first. I know, it feels wrong to take it away, but you dont want it on them too long.

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My grandson has a kitchen set, and he is frequently "cooking" things.... he was "cooking" long before he got the set! He would get some blocks, and put them in a bowl or something, and say that he baked us some "pupcakes" (cupcakes)..... he also loves to help his mom cook.....

Is there something wrong with a guy cooking? Frankly, any parent who DOESN'T teach their son to cook is doing them a great disservice.....

btw... my youngest, a boy, is planning on going to culinary school... he has wanted to be a chef since middle school, and really enjoys cooking! (He is almost 20)

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I have two boys 5 and 3 who have had a play kitchen since the youngest was one. They LOVE it! First of all -who cares what anyone else thinks? You get your kids toys and let them participate in activities that THEY (and you) can enjoy and afford.

Anyone who thinks boys shouldn't play with kitchens is incredibly small-minded and woefully behind the times. Did you know that one field where relatively few women have been able to break through and become wildly successful is being a chef? Most famous and well-respected chefs have always been men -although that's finally starting to change. I also haven't found a toddler boy who doesn't enjoy playing with kitchens, utensils and play food. It's great imaginative play for them! My own husband went to culinary school and was a chef for years, and there's nothing "unmanly" about him. Sorry, but it's a big pet peeve of mine that we're supposed to shove our kids into 1950s gender roles that no longer hold true (if they ever did). If anyone says anything to you about it, just tell them you're not into stifling your child's creativity and imagination.

About the pacifier -my oldest took one any time he wanted it until he was two. We really started talking up being a big boy and that as he aged, the passies were going to disappear. We didn't make a huge deal out of it -we just talked about it often. When he was about 2.5 we literally lost one and couldn't find another one at bedtime and he just looked at us woefully and said, "I know I big boy and I don't need it." It was heartbreaking and wonderful all at the same time! Try getting back to only using it during sleep and see if you can gradually taper that off. At 19 months though, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

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I'm sure he'll love it and it's not just for girls! My son will be turning two soon and that's what I'm getting him for his bday. My 3 year old son will love it as well. They both love to help me in the kitchen and my husband cooks all the time so why not?

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WHATEVER, your son is going to LOOOOVE the kitchen! My son plays with his sisters dolls and barbies... he makes them ride his trucks and dinosaurs. It's so gender neutral now!!

Pacifiers went away EARLY in my house, before 6 months old. Take them all and toss them before they start giving him dental and speech problems. He'll be mad for a day or so, then get over it, probably go play with the kitchen set ;)

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I got my son a little wooden (not pink!) kitchen when he was two and I saw how much he liked playing with the one at preschool. All kids love pretend play! Besides, cooking is still a male dominated field, how could that be considered "only" for girls?
As far as the paci goes, I'd use it for sleep only, otherwise it just becomes even harder to stop later, but that's just my opinion.

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He will love the kitchen, he can act like dad, cooking for mommy. We used to play restaurant, our daughter was the waitress and the cook. She did not have a little kitchen, she just used a little table and would pretend..

I know she would have loved one. We saw a wooden one at Costco in August and she fawned all over it.. Said she wished she had one.. Of course she is 21. I told her I would buy it for her....hee, hee. but she said no, it would be a waste of money since she will be away at college.. We laughed and laughed. I wish I had enough money to give it to her as a gag gift.. but oh well..

The pacifier if you are wanting him to get rid of it, start throwing them away and on the last few, cut the tips off of them a little each day. once it is just a nub have HIM throw them away. Just say "all broken.. "

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My son (now 5) has a wonderful wooden play kitchen that he still loves! Get him a chef's hat and apron to go with it and it'll be super cool for a good long time. The idea that cooking is female is just silly. Most chefs are men, so let him enjoy.

As for the pacifier... I don't know. My son really hardly used one, so it wasn't a big deal to take it away.

HTH
T.

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First I am not a big paci person. So by 6 months those were gone.

About the kitchen, both my boys loved ours. Both my boys can cook, one is 22, one is 10. My cousin had a kitchen and loved it, loved cooking so much he became a fancy schmancy cook at a very expensive restaurant in Durham, NC.

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Hi Audry,
My boys (6 and 4) have had a play kitchen for 2 years, and still play with it all the time. I bought a small storage container to keep the extra play foods, pots, and pans in (we call it the "pantry"), and they are responsible for keeping their kitchen clean. They love it!

They also get to help in the real kitchen all the time. After all, do you want to raise a "helpless" boy who will always need a woman to cook for him (because it's a "girl thing."), or an independent man who can take care of himself, no matter what??

Pacifier: we hardly ever let our babies have it, especially once they were old enough to use their own fingers/thumbs. We called it "kriptonite" (like the rock that takes Superman's powers away), with our first son, because we only gave it to him when he'd cry in public, and it would calm him right down - ha, ha!
Anyway, we never had to worry about taking the pacifier away, because our boys never got "hooked."

Good luck!
t

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My almost 4 year old grandson has a fabulous kitchen that he plays with...he loves it because he has always helped his Mama in the kitchen. We have added lots of things to make it more fun....pots and pans...wooden food...a wooden toaster....and this Christmas I am having matching aprons made for him and his Mama!!! I think your son is very lucky to have a kitchen to explore in!!!
I can't tell you about the pacifier...I was lucky...none of my children ever used one so I never had to fight that battle!!!

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My son loves his kitchen that he got when he was 26 mo, he still plays with it at age 5. I take pacifiers away at around 9mo. In your son's case, I would be hesitant to give more often than at bed times. Maybe encourage him to find another way to soothe himself during the day.

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My favorite TV chefs are men. There are more famous male chefs, then woman. Play kitchens are simply "open ended" toys. Meaning, they are amazing for the imagination. My son has had one since he was 1. He loves it! Who are these "some people" anyway? They are giving terrible advice.

We took the paci away at one year, so I'm not much help. I didn't want to deal with the attachment, which will get worse as your son gets older. It only gets harder to take it away. the younger they are, the easier it is for them to learn to self soothe.

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DIDN'T YOU KNOW????

Only women can cook and only men can work.

...

I think you're just fine.

___________________

He's probably starting to cut his 2yo molars a little early. Try giving him a dose of tylenol and see if his "need" for his binky vanishes about 20 minutes later. Or just stick your finger way back in his chompers and feel, but if it is, he'll still be in pain.

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My guys got a cool wooden kitchen set when they were about 2 1/2 and LOVED it! They had these cool chef hats and white jackets, and fake sushi, pancakes, steaks, you name it, and would cook up a storm! They played "restaurant" everyday. We also had a wooden grocery stand and they'd set it up next to the kitchen and would run a whole business right from getting the produce at the store, prepping the toy food, inviting patrons to eat and making them pay at the register and cleaning the pots and pans in the toy sink. They pretended to sweep the floor, and they worked out a routine each taking turns being the head chef, sous chef and waiter. They even named the restaurant and made paper menus with cutouts from magazines of food. It's a totally invaluable learning experience I say.

Sure boys can cook! I hope your child enjoys his kitchen as much ours enjoyed theirs.

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I think kids should be able to play with whatever they want without gender bias and discrimination. Both of my kids have played with dolls, tea sets, jewelry, dressup, kitchen stuff etc. As well as cars, trucks, sports galore etc. My kids are well adjusted, loving, compassionate, buff and super strong guys. Embrace the kitchen :) As for the paci, cut the tip----he will lose interest and you won't have to give it to him anymore.

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There are lots of great male chefs out there, so I dont think kitchens should be labled male or female anymore as they were in the old days.
Pacifiers? Well, if they can talk they shouldnt be using one, that's the way I feel about it... they are then old enough to rationalize and self soothe without the vice of a pacifier. When it becomes habitual it's just like a cigarette but without the nicotine, a physical addiction. But do what you gotta do to get by. It's often really hard to stop an older child from using a paci, but nature usually stops it eventually without much intervention.

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My son absolutely LOVED his play kitchen and cooking accessories. He also had a toy broom, dust pan and vacuum cleaner. He was a very busy, hardworking little guy.

As he got older, I let him help me in the kitchen, and today, at 16, he is an amazing cook. He can literally cook anything. Me being a single mom, it's pretty great. He does as much of the cooking, if not more, than I do. He loves to cook.
It's not a bad skill to have.

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Next time they say that, ask them if they've ever watched the Cooking Channel, heard of Emeril, etc. My husband cooks much better than I do.

I think it's fine to let him have the pacifier - he's just a baby and will learn to soothe himself without it eventually.

You're doing fine :)

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Yes... completely ok. Are there male chefs in the world? Is it ok for men to (learn to) cook? And besides all of that, he's 19 months old. You aren't doing any blurring of the gender lines, if you even believe in that sort of thing. Let your little one explore what he enjoys, there's plenty of time to conform to the social norms later.

As for the paci... I think that's an individual decision. Neither of my kids used one, but I know kids who do and they seem to need it more often when they are teething. That might be why he's wanting it. I'd give it to him. When he's 3 and still has one, I'd think about trying to get rid of it.

good luck!!

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I always found it funny that *traditionally*, the woman is supposed to be queen of the kitchen and cook all the meals. BUT I bet you can name many more famous MALE chefs than famous female chefs...A play kitchen for a boy is absolutely fine and those that think it's just for girls are downright wrong.

I actually NEVER took the pacifier away. I figured I'd rather have them suck on a pacifier than find their thumb and start sucking on that. When they were ready, they gave it up on their own. I DO know some kids, however, that sucked their thumbs for many years and have all the mouth/teeth problems that go along with that.

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In my opinion, there is no such thing as boy toys and girl toys. All my kids, 2 boys and a girl, have played with kitchens, trucks, dolls, robots, sports stuff, stuffed animals, and dollhouses. The toys are all there, and they play with everything. I think it's ridiculous, at this modern time, that people are still clinging to old gender roles. And, it just makes me sick to see so many of the things that are marketed to girls are pink and lavender, and the bright primary colors are theoretically reserved for boys. sigh.

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Why do you care what "some people" say? Do you think boys should never learn to cook or clean dishes? Those people you talk about are sexist and chauvanistic. Ask yourself if you are questioning if they are right because you want to please them, or if you are sexist and chauvanistic, too.

Your son will eventually need to learn to take care of himself. He may not get married as soon as he leaves your home. That means that YOU teach him to fix simple foods, wash his dishes, clean his potty and wash his clothes. When he starts out in life, he won't be able to afford a cleaning service, and you don't want him living in squalor.

To begin the process of boys and girls learning this stuff, they PLAY, and pretend to do what the adults in their lives do. The kitchen set is one of those things. Food is one of the most important things in his life, so play acting fixing food is part of this.

By the way, if you go to daycares, they have kitchen sets for ALL the children. Wouldn't you think that it would be stupid to only allow the girls to play with it, and not the boys?

Is something wrong with girls playing with trains and GI Joes? Or is it just boys that can't play with something domestic?

For the pacifier, you really should only allow it at nap time and bed time. He's running around playing, and the paci will just get dirty and germy. Also, to get good speech skills, he needs to have his mouth empty of a paci. If he has a paci in his mouth all the time, it's like talking with a mouthful, and that's not good for his speech.

There are other things he needs to use to sooth himself, and he won't try if you let him have the paci all the time.

Good luck,
D.

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I have the huge walk in kitchen and have 3 boys-by far, it has been one of their favorites and it has never gotten old. Age 5, 3 and 20 mos. I have friends whose husbands won't let them lay with kitchens-it's ridiculous, IMO. I agree with everyone below...
As for pacifiers, we ditched them for good around 2-2 q1/2 years. After the first 6 mos, we only used them in the crib and car- didn't want it to impair their speech development at all. Have had no problems and they are all very verbal. No problems with teeth either...

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It annoys me that people think a kitchen is "just for girls". It annoys me even more that they would be stupid enough to voice that opinion to a parent who just bought one for their own child--mind your business, people!

That said: my 5 year old had a play kitchen and loved it. (It was navy blue, brown, and cream colored). I bought another set of white dishes, some cooking stuff (pots, pans, etc), food, all that. Now he still plays along with my 2 year old boy who has taken over the "full time use" of the kitchen. Seriously, can you name many famous female chefs? I mean, Julia Child, Paula Dean, Rachel Ray. That's it, for the most part, until the past couple years when the food network has caused an "explosion" of TV personalities. But I could name a dozen successful and RICH male chefs, lol. And I'm sure we all have a fond memory from younger days when you met a hot guy who knew his way around the kitchen...and how many brownie points that earned him. If he likes it, let him play with it. My boys are all boy, love to build and fight and play sports......but everytime we pay to go to an indoor recreational place full of bounce houses, train tables, a costume area and castle, kitchen/restaurant/store set, and slides.....they ALWAYS go for the kitchen stuff, then the castle to dress up like knights and dragons.
As for the paci: we bought the ortho pro pacifiers, and my oldest quit his a week before his 3rd birthday. My youngest (23 months old) uses his at bedtime.....and if he's not feeling well he'll carry his blanky and paci, but not all the the time. If he carries the paci and blanky when it's not bedtime, then that's a sign he's got an earache or feeling under the weather, or just needs a little extra cuddle time.

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RE: the kitchen - why is it just for girls?! Most boys I know love their kitchens. Ignore the people who tell you it's just for girls.

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The vast majority of professional chefs are still male. The vast majority of men will have to feed themselves sometime in their lives (at the very least between the time they leave for college and marry a woman from the 1950s). To be honest though, my son did not have a play kitchen. We let him 'help' in the real one from when he was about two. He did use the play kitchen at daycare. We never used a pacifier (sorry, I just found them gross, only reason) so I can't help there.

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a play kitchen is a unisex item. i know friends whos sons have one and i know friends whos daughters have them and their sons play with it too.

as for the pacifier they usually say cut it off at 2 so it doesnt wreck their bite.

My 3 year old son has a play kitchen. He does enjoy it and his dad and I are very okay with him playing with it. I think it is extremely sexist to think a boy can't play with a kitchen....they will need to cook their own meals some day. My son also has a boy baby doll that he plays with and let me say he is going to be a fine husband and daddy some day :)

My son also still uses his pacifier to fall asleep at bed and nap times. I originally thought we would take it from him by age 3 but we talked to our dentist and pediatrician and neither were concerned about his occasional usage. I figure he won't go to college sucking a pacifier so at some point he will give it up on his own.

play kitchens are TOTALLY ok for boys! in fact, my 5 year old son LOVES to help me cook in the kitchen! and i let him if its safe...i don't care if it takes longer or makes a bigger mess...he loves it and that's fantastic i think!

as far as the paci, i have a 2 1/2 year old and he only uses it at bed time. i know that's probably too long for him to have it...one of these days i have to cold turkey that habit :)

My parents bought my little bro a play kitchen back in the early 90's.
He played w/ it ALL THE TIME. (Well we all did but he was a whole 6 yrs younger than me.)
It was an excellent investment.
Pacifier...took it away shortly after 3. ;) Ok...I think she was really 3.5.
I'd let him have it.

My two boys love their play kitchen, I think its a great idea!

And for the Paci, my son is 2 years 3 months and has just stopped using it during nap time this week and stopped night time use at 2 yrs. After about 1 year I stopped letting him use it during any other time except naps, night time use and long car rides.

Yep! I take the LONG view on things like this. I want him to know how to cook for real so he plays with toy kitchens. I want to be a Grandma some day so he has a baby doll...

My son has enjoyed his play kitchen for almost 2yrs. Part of that was loving it as a ladder to access all kinds of trouble, but the rest was cooking, arranging, etc.

As for the pacifier, my son handed his over at 11mos and never wanted it back. I have no advice, sorry! Good luck!

both my kids never liked the pacifier! Can't help there. But as far as the kitchen goes as long as it isnt pink or super girly its fine for boys. My son (four and daughter two play kitchen together all the time. her kitchen is dora (it was a garage sale find from grandma. i would have rather had a gender neutral kitchen. i am one of those mommas that wont let her son play with dolls nor my daughter to play with trucks or wear her brothers undies(she tries).

All 4 of my boys had a kitchen set and loved it! Some of the world's best chefs are men. I think it's great to teach our men how to take care of themselves instead of waiting until they're married and have a disgruntled wife living with a husband whose a stereotypical jackass.

I have a 24 year old son who is married with a daughter. He's a former Marine. He can cook better than his wife. Granted, he's a man which automatically qualifies him to be a dipstick, lol, but he KNOWS how to cook, clean, do laundry and had stuffed animals that he treated like babies and fed them and took care of them. He's never been the stereotypical man who wouldn't change a diaper and love his child up.

My 16 year old son had a baby boy doll and stroller. Back then everything was pink so my husband had a fit... at first. I explained to him that I wanted him to grow up knowing how to be a good and loving father and if girls are allowed to do this to become loving mothers, why not boys?

My triplets are 7, two boys and a girl. My boys played with dolls as much as my daughter played with trucks. They are who they are and playing with "opposite" toys will not change that. My daughter is a girly girl and playing with the boys toys and getting dirty was and is good for her. I didn't want her to be 100% girl. My boys playing house, dressing up being Dad and taking care of babies has opened them up to becoming more caring about others. It's in there, but opening them up allowed them to bring that part of them out.

Not a dang thing wrong with it!

About the pacifier, that's another matter. He needs to transfer from pace to something else to soothe them, like themselves at best, but a blankie will do.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

I'm sure you've already heard this answer many times - YES, play kitchens are fabulous for boys. Don't ever think it is a girl's toy. It is so great for inspiring pretend play and creativity.

As for paci, we took it away from my son at 2.5. He used it only for sleeping and maybe 20-30 minutes after waking up. After he was about 12-15 months, we never gave it to him any other times during the day.

Do men cook, or is it "just for girls"? My son loved him toy kitchen, and played with it for years. We just gave it away last year, when he finally board of it at age 5.

As for the passi, I took my kids away about his age. Get him back down to just bed time and nap, and than take it completely away during a time you can afford to be sleep deprived, because it could make for a couple of long nights. If you are not ready to deal with the removal, and the dentist says it is fine, than there is no harm in letting him keep it just at bed time for a while longer.

Our son loved his toy kitchen...up till age 4 or 5. When he was that old he used to pretend he had a restaurant and make up menus for his dad and I. It was so cute! I don't know what to tell you about the pacifier. Our daughter is 2 and she does not usually want her paci...only when she is teething. It think it helps her to chew on it or have that pressure in her mouth.

My boy has a blue wooden kitchen handed down from his big sis. He even has a boy baby that we call baby boy. We just took the pacifier away at 3 1/2. I would do it sooner than that. It worked better with my girl at 2 1/2. Good luck.

I think if he wants to suck on his pacifier he should have it. My daughter has a recessed jaw and it can't be fixed unless they go in and break her bones, wire them together, then put braces on her for a long time once she is healed.

The reason her face is like this is because I listened to everyone who told me she should be off the bottle and no pacifier. She needed to suck so she discovered her fingers. They are much harder to take away.

Of course it's OK to give him a kitchen set. That said, my husband and I laughed mercilessly when our friend bought her son a kitchen set :) Only because she was doing lots of other girly stuff for him (she didnt' think so), and she wanted a girl. She would send us pictures of him shopping in her favorite lady stores with her, and getting his hair cut in designer salons etc :) So we sort of thought that was funny since our second was a boy and we just hacked off his hair ourselves and kept things simple. Our son plays with his sister's barbies and dresses in fairy dresses though -don't tell my friend :-0
If one of your son's many toys is a kitchen set, he'll love it (my son likes playing with the one at our Dr.'s office). Plus his little play date friends will love it. The binky is totally up to you! They do tend to get more and more attached. My 5 year old still sucks her fingers! If they were a binky I would have thrown them away a loooooong time ago!

My personal opinion in my own home is that 18 month olds should learn to self sooth without binkies, which can only happen without binkies, but I see lots of kids walking around with binkies, so I'd say there's no pressure on you for that. I snatched all mine before six months. But then again, I've got a five year old sucking fingers....

Hate hate HATE when people are so completely narrow minded to say kitchens, dolls, dress-up, etc are only for girls! What century are we in?? Do we not want boys to grow into men that know how to cook, care for a child, have any kind of sensitivity to the rest of the world? Ugh!!!

My boys loved their play kitchen. It's even blue.