I can see the idea of giving a doll to "practice with" to the angry
7-year-old who wanted to feed his new sibling might make him less angry, but
I'm uncomfortable with what that implies. Saying that he can then give the
baby a bottle when it's ready or older suggests that "readiness for a
bottle" is some kind of developmental goal, and might imply that all babies
will need bottles. (I know that's not what you meant.) It's the same kind of
discomfort I feel about dolls always coming with bottles.

I think a 7-year-old can understand why bottles are a problem, and why
breastfeeding is important. I'd tell him. Surely he wants the best for this
little baby? And I'd help him to see all the other things he can do with a
baby.
One day he'll be a father, and I think it would be great if he could come
into fatherhood knowing that breastfeeding is valuable and that he can still
be involved with a baby despite not having "the equipment."

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario
(whose four children grew up around lots of breastfed babies and never once
asked to give any of them a bottle - I guess it shows how far out of the
mainstream we are! All their dolls were breastfed. I also did my share of
nursing dolls, stuffed animals, action figures, etc.) (Yes, in my house the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were breastfed, too - hey, it made them feel
better when they got hurt.)

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