I'm pretty sure my dolls came with bottles but i also remember BFing them. I was the youngest so no baby brothers or sisters to see feeding and copy... Think a few aunties etc. that were around me BF and that's why.

I think, on the whole, i wouldn't necessarily buy DD a baby doll with all the accessories because i'd far rather teach her to sew and knit (as my mother taught me) and make her own things for her dollies. It has made a big difference to my choices with DD, being able to make EXACTLY what i want and not having to worry about getting to the shops to find it.

I kind of see how bottles could be seen as harmless or harmful but it depends on your lifestyle. I would NOT let my children play with guns. Possibly one of the brightly coloured super-soakers which bear almost zero resemblance to a gun, but CERTAINLY not anything handgun shaped, whatever it shot. I would only buy knives which came with one of those cooking play sets where the fruit/veggies are velcroed together and one uses the plastic kitchen knife to "chop" them, never a sword or a dagger or anything like that. When it comes to real knives i will do as my parents did - when she is 12 or 13 i will buy her a good quality swiss army camping knife and teach her how to use it responsibly. Respect for such things is important and i do think playing flippantly with them is kids changes how we see things.

I DO think it's important kids are exposed to BFing. I have a friend who's neice, aged 7, had NEVER heard of BFing. The first time i met her DD was with her daddy and i had my breastpump with me. I let her sit by me while i pumped a feed and put it in the fridge. I saw her again a few days later and this time i had DD with me. When i said i thought DD was hungry the little girl offered to get the pump for me - even having SEEN the milk coming out of my breasts she didn't graps that a baby didn't need a bottle!

I don't think it is in any way "too far" for a child to pretend-BF a doll even if its mouth does move. What's wrong with that? If BFing is a natural thing, what is "wrong" about a child playing at it? In countries where BFing is the norm (much of North Africa for instance) young girls left in charge of infants will latch them on to suck for comfort as soon as they have enough breasts for it to be possible.

Is it that, despite our feelings and statements to the contrary, we still see BFing as sexual and thus are offended by a child which is apparently sexualised?

Bec