# Is this a normal child's behavior? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2006, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314 "2006-01-17T04:09:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/21 "2006-01-17T09:10:39Z")
Totally normal. It’s role-play, they’re supposed to do that, it’s how they learn. Is this making you feel a little weird because the child is a boy and it feels a bit like “playing with dolls”? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/22 "2006-01-17T11:00:28Z")
> [@Greywolf73](#): > > I’d say it was completely normal. Then again, my son is obsessed with our Roomba vaccum, pretends to feed it and even puts a blanket over it before he goes to bed at night because he’s afraid it’ll get cold… Wow. I mean… **WOW.** 😛 Your kid will go very far in life, and make a lot of money to keep you in a comfortable retirement. That sort of out-of-the-square thinking leads _me_ to think that he will have some incredible ideas and inventions up his sleeve in future years. Or he _could_ be incubating a **really** interesting set of obsessional neuroses…which will make a lot of money for you on the Dr. Phil circuit. Whichever way, you win!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![petalpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@petalpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petalpusher)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/23 "2006-01-17T11:30:24Z")
Wow, do they not have a Build-a-bear in the mall where you live? Stuffed animals have entire wardrobes, including the wardrobe! Different shoes that rival Imelda Marcos’ collection, sports gear, etc. They also have special needs bears with wheelchairs, crutches, you name it. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/24 "2006-01-17T12:11:11Z")
> [@Greywolf73](#): > > I’d say it was completely normal. Then again, my son is obsessed with our Roomba vaccum, pretends to feed it and even puts a blanket over it before he goes to bed at night because he’s afraid it’ll get cold… > Hmm, on second thought perhaps I’m not the best person to define “normal” child behavior. 😃 That’s pretty fuckin’ cute. That’s the sign of a very compassionate kid with good upbringing. Or he’s a raving loon. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/25 "2006-01-17T13:56:44Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > That’s pretty fuckin’ cute. That’s the sign of a very compassionate kid with good upbringing. > > Or he’s a raving loon. 😉 Heh. Maybe a little from column A, a little from column B? He’s still too young to tell yet. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/26 "2006-01-17T14:09:50Z")
> [@Greywolf73](#): > > I’d say it was completely normal. Then again, my son is obsessed with our Roomba vaccum, pretends to feed it and even puts a blanket over it before he goes to bed at night because he’s afraid it’ll get cold… Nothing strange about that–it’s completely natural. Nature adores a vaccuum. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/27 "2006-01-17T16:40:47Z")
My daughter strongly prefers stuffed animals to dolls. She recently got a fairly fancy doll house and the humanoids were immediately booted to the curb in favor of a family of miniature bears. My son usually prefers robots, but he did get a large rubber snake at the zoo yesterday and it was helping him practice his Hail Mary this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/28 "2006-01-17T16:44:54Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > My daughter strongly prefers stuffed animals to dolls. She recently got a fairly fancy doll house and the humanoids were immediately booted to the curb in favor of a family of miniature bears. > > My son usually prefers robots, but he did get a large rubber snake at the zoo yesterday and it was helping him practice his Hail Mary this morning. My son preferred soft stuff as well. The hard plastic just doesn’t lend itself to hugging. His favorite was a little hand-made doll made from baby socks. It was so cute. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/29 "2006-01-17T17:37:58Z")
Is the kid a boy? Then hell no, it’s not normal. He should be tearing apart the stuffed animal with steak knives, sticking a cherry bomb into its ass, and blowing the sucker up. Who gives a boy a stuffed animal anyway? That’s not how you breed citizens for the New American World Order! Quick, buy him a BB gun, that should erase the damage. (Note: the above is meant as sarcasm. The child in question sounds quite normal and the dressing of the toy shows compassion and empathy.) Also, the Roomba anecdote is the cutest thing I’ve heard about so far today. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/30 "2006-01-17T18:07:55Z")
Of course no stuffed toy should ever wear a brown suit in the City. If the child is committing this sort of gaffe, then yes, professional help should be consulted. ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/31 "2006-01-17T18:08:33Z")
If this child is one of the Katrina evacuees, it could also be that he’s working through some control issues by “caring” for his bear? ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/32 "2006-01-17T18:36:48Z")
**Left Hand** … thanks for the chuckle … ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/33 "2006-01-17T19:37:22Z")
Good thing you didn’t start out learning about kids with mine. Chloe’s changes her baby doll’s diaper all the time. After we took her to the dentist, she came home and brushed the baby’s “teeth” as well as her stuffed Elmo’s. She also pulls up her shirt and “nurses” her dolls and stuffed animals, and one time brought me a Little Person (a two inch high plastic play figure) and would not be satisfied until I “nursed” it by holding its face against my nipple. The weirdest thing is that she works out psychological issues of sharing and fighting by having her hands “fight” over something. One hand grabs it, then the other grabs it away and (she does the voices) yells, “No, MINE!” Then the original hands yells, “No, share!” and so on. Kids are weird. But it’s often adorable, and it’s how they figure out all the crazy stuff they need to learn to live in society. Oh, and I too ADORE the Roomba story - so cute! ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/34 "2006-01-17T19:40:03Z")
Hmm, who put that extra possessive in my second sentence? Must have been my evil left hand ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/35 "2006-01-17T20:14:11Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > My son usually prefers robots, but he did get a large rubber snake at the zoo yesterday and it was helping him practice his Hail Mary this morning. That is _hilarious_. The snake hasn’t been telling him to eat apples, has it? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/36 "2006-01-17T20:32:05Z")
No, but I think it might have been responsible for the disappearance of half a large bag of cotton candy. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/37 "2006-01-17T22:17:06Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Is it normal for children to dress their favorite stuffed animal? I’m glad you got some serious answers in this thread, **dalej42** , but I have to admit your question made me giggle. If you’re asking if _that_ is normal behavior, I can only imagine your response to some of the \*really[i/] strange things kids do. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/38 "2006-01-17T22:58:37Z")
> [@AerynSun](#): > > The weirdest thing is that she works out psychological issues of sharing and fighting by having her hands “fight” over something. One hand grabs it, then the other grabs it away and (she does the voices) yells, “No, MINE!” Then the original hands yells, “No, share!” and so on. When my dad was a kid, he used to decide what socks to wear by putting a different one on each hand and letting them “fight.” Then the winner would get to pick the pants and top. True story! ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/39 "2006-01-18T03:47:20Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > I’m glad you got some serious answers in this thread, **dalej42** , but I have to admit your question made me giggle. If you’re asking if _that_ is normal behavior, I can only imagine your response to some of the \*really[i/] strange things kids do. Well, I’m very new to spending time with children. The idea that children make sure that the stuffed dog is wearing clean underwear, that was…different. Still, it was cute to observe. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314/40 "2006-01-18T04:02:00Z")
> [@little\*bit](#): > > If this child is one of the Katrina evacuees, it could also be that he’s working through some control issues by “caring” for his bear? This was my thought as well. In any case it would be perfectly normal behavior for any child. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-normal-childs-behavior/340314.md?page=3)