danybug Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I was thinking about getting an American Girl Doll for my dd this Christmas. She is only 4 and I did not know if this was too young. I did not want to get her one of the suggested younger babies or twins. I know she would be happier with one of the historical girls. Do you think she is to young for one and that it is silly to get it now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Check out hair care requirements of the doll she wants and see if you think she is ready for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moxie Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'd say too young. It will be much more exciting for her in a few years when she realizes how special it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 My kids would've ruined the doll at age 4. They would've wanted to play with the hair, possibly using their own hairbrush (which frizzes up the hair) because at that age it's just hard to understand what you can and can't do. We had to have a doll's head replaced even though dd was older (around 8) when she got it -- it was a hair issue, as I recall. And at that point dd was taking good care of the doll, but she was playing with it on a regular basis so it was starting look worn -- I think she had probably gotten skin oils on the hair just from touching it so much. At around 5 or 6 I got dd one of the knockoff versions of an AG doll for her birthday, and observed how she cared for it. You might consider that option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 My older girls got their first American Girl Dolls at 5. Miss Bossy got hers at 4, and Miss Good plays with all of her sisters' dolls and she isn't yet 2. The only doll we have ever had damaged was actually ruined by a babysitter, not a child. It all depends on the kid. Some apparently still are not ready at 15. I just ordered 2 more dolls today. AG is having a 25% discount on the dolls I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm one who believes in taking care of one's toys, but also in PLAYING with them! So, I'd say how YOU feel about her actually playing with the doll would be key as to whether or not you should get her one. Are you going to throw a fit if the hair gets messed up? Are you going to ground her or punish her someway if, in playing with the doll as a 4yo would, it gets "worn looking?" Get her a doll you are ok with her PLAYING with, not one she has to take care of. It's a doll, for goodness' sake, and she's 4. I would be fine getting her one now--but that's how I roll. YMMV, and that's fine, just pls know yourself and how you handle things like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I would get her an 18" doll from Target or like store. You could even get a couple of outfits off of ebay that would turn it into a more historical type figure. I got my dd her first one around age 6 or 7, can't remember for sure. We got her another one last yr for Christmas and she bought herself yet another this summer.She loves them, plays with them, has totally enjoyed them. She also has some from Target that get dressed up and played with right along with her AM dolls. Actually she has 4 AM dolls instead of 3. She really does love them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 She would love it so it really comes down to your financial empire. I made my dd wait until she could read the books but plenty of her friends had them at 4 or 5. They might need to be fixed later or she might want a new one when she's older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I would get her an 18" doll from Target or like store. You could even get a couple of outfits off of ebay that would turn it into a more historical type figure. I got my dd her first one around age 6 or 7, can't remember for sure. We got her another one last yr for Christmas and she bought herself yet another this summer.She loves them, plays with them, has totally enjoyed them. She also has some from Target that get dressed up and played with right along with her AM dolls. Actually she has 4 AM dolls instead of 3. She really does love them. :iagree:This is what we did with our younger dd. She was really pretty rough with her doll and with her sister's real AG doll when she got a hold of her. But the Target doll did give her something to play with that was similar to what her sister had. Now, at almost 7, she is more careful and has saved enough of her own money to get her own real AG doll. She's read a bunch of the books, but still isn't terribly interested in the historical dolls. She's getting one that looks more or less like her, which seems to be more appealing at this age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 We got our dd a knock off 18" doll at Michael's for $15 when she was 4. We figured it would give us a chance to see if she'd actually play with it. Those dolls fit all the AG clothing and accessories but it's much less of an investment in case they get haircuts or magic marker make-overs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Too young for such a pricey doll. I waited until my girls *really* wanted one. And then I used it as the ultimate reward for memorizing their multiplication tables. It worked well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I was thinking about getting an American Girl Doll for my dd this Christmas. She is only 4 and I did not know if this was too young. I did not want to get her one of the suggested younger babies or twins. I know she would be happier with one of the historical girls. Do you think she is to young for one and that it is silly to get it now? It totally depends on your dd. My 4yo is past ready for an AG doll. She has a knock-off one that she enjoys but she plays with her sister's AG dolls more than they do. She is NOT into her bitty baby. :glare: But my oldest dd would no way have been ready for an AG doll at 4. Very different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silliness7 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 I'm one who believes in taking care of one's toys, but also in PLAYING with them! So, I'd say how YOU feel about her actually playing with the doll would be key as to whether or not you should get her one. Are you going to throw a fit if the hair gets messed up? Are you going to ground her or punish her someway if, in playing with the doll as a 4yo would, it gets "worn looking?" Get her a doll you are ok with her PLAYING with, not one she has to take care of. It's a doll, for goodness' sake, and she's 4. I would be fine getting her one now--but that's how I roll. YMMV, and that's fine, just pls know yourself and how you handle things like that. People do that? :confused: It's a toy for goodness' sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 My daughter got a Bitty Baby for Christmas when she was 4. She got her third "real" American Girl doll today, her 10th birthday. She got her first historical doll at age 7. I, personally, would wait. It was something my daughter looked forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS in LA Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Waldorf-style dolls (from Magic Cabin and elsewhere, or let her help you make one!) are soft and huggable, perfect for a 4yo to cuddle with. (No need to comb hair.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Are you okay with her not treasuring the doll the way you imagine she would? What if her favorite doll was 'Real Baby' or an equally ugly, plastic smelling, one legged monstrosity she found at a garage sale and fell in love with? Yeah. Ask me how I know...:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 My oldest got her first AG doll at 4 y.o. She has a couple more now... Her baby sister now plays with that first AG doll. It's in good condition. It's been played with for 5 years. Oldest dd still does its hair for her little sister. She uses a regular hair brush and a spritz of water. No problems. I see no problem getting an AG doll for a 4 year old, unless you think she'd ruin it in some fashion... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swirl Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Do you think she is to young for one and that it is silly to get it now? Yes. I made that $100 mistake 3 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 If she's an older 4 and mature for her age, go for it! My daughter was a young 5 when she got her first. She also would not have been interested in the twins or in Bitty Baby. We got her Rebecca because she fit with DD's heritage. If you're looking for a doll that is easy to care for, Kit has the easiest hair. She also has a movie out and lots of great accessories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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