5 Ways Boys Who Play With Barbies Grow Up To Be Awesome MEN

I'm one of those boys that used to play with Barbies. Not because I longed to play with them but because I only had a younger sister, and if she wanted to play with me, that's what we played — along with doll houses and whatever else girls play with at that age.

Fast forward to 2015, and for the first time ever, Mattel has featured a young boy in a commercial who's ecstatic to play with a Barbie. For that I say bravo!  

Here are 5 reasons why boys who play with dolls will make better, more successful men:

1. He'll gain a better understanding of how to become successful

It's clear not every man will grow to be the stud athlete, the male model, or want to join the armed services; but those were the kind of dolls that boys used to be exposed to. Today, boys' dolls are based on fantasy heroic figures — they focus not on the career of the doll, but instead the feeling of success and greatness that doll possesses.

There may be a correlation as to why college-aged men don't finish their degrees, as reported in the Science Daily. Men expect to go to college, but they underestimate the work involved in becoming successful. Finding something they are passionate about before they enter college makes the journey more enjoyable, and they are more inspired to put in the work needed to reach their end goal. 

2. He'll learn to appreciate a woman's success alongside his own

When boys play with dolls, they create stories for them. Many of these stories are ones of adventure and success, whereas when boys play with the more intense action figures that are marketed to them, the boys' imagination tends to lean more toward violence, destruction and saving the "damsel in distress". 

When your son plays with dolls, he learns that men and women can both be successful and heroic, and that will translate later on into his personal life with future women. He will learn to appreciate their successes alongside his own.

3. He'll be more desirable to women in the long-run

The popular belief is that super-masculine men more easily attract women. It's simply not true. "Masculinity is basically man's way of advertising good genes, dominance, and likelihood to father healthier kids, but women often view them as uncooperative, unsympathetic, philandering, aggressive, and disinterested in parenting," says Jena Pincott in an article published in the Wall Street Journal. These men are more likely to have relationship problems than your doll-loving son. 

4. He will better understand gender equality

A boy that regularly plays will dolls will develop a more positive point of view of women. This quality leads to less misogynistic views, making him feel less restrictive of women and less likely to believe that women need to fulfill traditionally feminine roles in a relationship. 

5. He will have a better, more substantial relationship with his future wife

Men have both feminine and masculine sides of their personality as do women. Playing with Barbies allows your son to further develop his emotional sensitivity, and ultimately connect with that side that is often suppressed by men at an older age. 

Emotional sensitivity is important because it allows a man to better understand his partner's (and his own) feelings. By doing this, he'll be more able to key in to his loved one's emotions and create a better, closer relationship with her.

If you're struggling with developing your son to his full potential, please contact Coach Keith at info@strive2succeedcoaching.com. He is an expert on relationships and Youth Development.