Ohio12 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 moms of girls WWYD? DD does not really play much with dolls, but her two best friends have American girl dolls and she is saying that she wants one for Christmas. this is all she has asked for except a box of kittens (ridiculous of course, I am alergic..if you want to see a really funny story about that see my blog) Anyway, technically we could afford to buy dd an AG, but I am not confident that she would play with it too much and it is a LOT of money for one thing. If she had loved dolls and babies all along, I would be thrilled to buy her this one special doll, but she hasn't and she doesn't. Help me think through this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Well, when dd12 was 10, she asked for an AG doll. I refused to pay that much for a doll. So, dd10 saved every penny of her birthday money from relatives and purchased a doll on her own. 2 years later, she asked for the new AG doll of the year and I just looked at her and shook my head. So, again, she saved every penny of her bday money and purchased another doll herself. The dolls mean more to her since she purchased them. She still loves the dolls although she doesn't really "play" with them much. For Christmas, she is getting an outfit for one of the dolls w/ matching pjs for her (clearance items...couldn't resist!). She'll be thrilled. Can your dd save enough to purchase one herself? Does she get Christmas money from relatives? Perhaps you can work on a matching situation where you match her dollar for dollar for however much she can save in a certain period of time. Just a thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I see from your siggy that she is five - I don't think I would spend that kind of money on a doll for a five year old unless she had been wanting it for a while. My dds saved for theirs as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Not for a 5yo, I wouldn't. I think AG dolls are great, and some girls who don't play a lot with other dolls *will* play with AGs (because their friends do, or because they've read the books, or because the clothes and accessories are interesting to them historically, or because the size of the dolls makes them easy to sew for, etc), but I would put it off for a 5yo. Wait till she's a little older, a little better able to dress the doll herself, old enough to read the books to herself... (Now *if* she's already reading the books on her own and loves them, I might reconsider, but I assume she's not there yet.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancora_Imparo Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 My in-laws got dd (now 9, then 7) an American Girl doll complete with trip to the store in Chicago. She never plays with it. She has read all the books, seen all the movies, even has the craft and cook books that she uses often. She is not a girl who is into dolls either, stuffed animals however are a whole different story. She will play with Coconut the dog and Licorice the cat from American Girl but the doll just languishes in the bottom of her bedroom closet on the bed I made it. If she gets new clothes, she might play with it for a day but it goes right back in the closet. The last time she played with it was September when I bought a doll sized leotard for it to match dds for tumbling, before that I think it was before we moved into our current home last November. In my opinion, there would have been much better gifts to get her, but dd said she wanted it and my mil insisted. I would not get one for a 5 year old. Wait a few years and see if she is still interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I bought my doll happy 5yo an Our Generation doll and 3 outfits at Target for under $60. In a couple of years I'd consider getting her an AG, but I don't think she's really ready to have a doll that has to be pampered. Plus, she's not ready to read the AG books yet and I think that's a big part of the experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I'm giving DD Samantha and Nellie for Yule this year. She'll be 4 1/2. I think almost every girl in our homeschool co-op has one of these and they all sit in a corner on gym day and share the books. DD wants to be a "big girl" so we can do that. They've got a good hospital if DD really damages the doll too much. ;) Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheryl Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 aka Ohio12. I'm originally from Columbus, OHIO!! GO BUCKEYES! My 9 1/2 yo dd has always loved dolls, etc. She was given Bitty Baby as a gift when she was around 3 so she had an early exposure to dolls. Then as a homeschooling family we are studying history and she likes LIW and AG historical dolls, etc. So, we bought her Elizabeth. And, Felicity. It was not a mistake. Does she play with them everyday? NO! Kids are like that. Whether it's AG or another toy, they'll center on it and play with it for awhile and move on and then come back to it. To further that point.....my dd wanted to be a vet 2 years ago. And, she is wild about animals and wolves, but she has not declared any interest in becoming a vet again. She may or may not pick up that interest again. My point is you may regret not getting her this vey special doll. And, you mentioned she has asked for one. This could be a flash in the pan, or what I think may be the "beginning interest" of developing a friendship with an AG doll. ;) She may just "now" be interested in the doll thing. And, it can be an heirloom if taken care of that she could give to her dd when that time comes WAY down the road. They are classic dolls IMO. You can wait until she's older if you're not sure. Unless you are thinking of Samantha which is retiring at the end of this month/year. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I don't know that I could get a 5yo an American Girl Doll... unless they just happened to be THAT responsible with their things. My oldest, at 5, would have made her up with markers and such. My MIL bought our oldest a very nice doll around 5yo ... well, she USED to be a very nice doll. That said, we're getting dd 2.5 a bitty baby by American Girl. But, she hasn't shown any of the tendancies of my oldest towards things like that. I do plan on getting my oldest an AG doll next year (probably Christmas), as she is showing a real interest in the dolls with clothes and accessories. Prior to this year, she has one baby doll she's loved on and truly cared about (she named the doll Oreos, because that's what she smells like) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrid Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 OOOH! She'll be THRILLED! And what a great score, what with Samantha being retired this year! My dd is getting Felicity from us, and Kirsten from MIL. She never, in her wildest dreams, would imagine that she would recieve ONE doll for Christmas, let alone TWO! Happy Wrapping! Astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 My dd is not really a doll girl but has had the same request because friends have them. I told her she was welcome to save her money and buy one herself because I did not see the sense in spending that kind of money on something she would rarely play with. So far, it has not been important enough to her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 We started with an Our Generation doll from Target at age 5. It's not as nice, but you can get an idea if it's really something your dd will like. My dd got Felicity a year later. Felicity has been well cared for and dd has gotten other AG dolls from her Nana. Dd has even bought one on her own (Ruthie, Kit's friend). If dd had not really played with the Our Generation doll, I would not have encouraged Nana to buy AG dolls. I also put off getting one until dd was reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Mom Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I'm with you, but I went for it & got one for dd for Christmas. She is NOT a doll girl at all. But she loves the A.G. books and saw some pictures of the dolls recently and asked for one (it wasn't on her ask "Santa" list - that was her snowboard, heelies and bullfrog list!). I bit the bullet and ordered Molly (Samantha was backordered past Jan. 1) to give her from mom & dad. I just opened the box yesterday and the doll is very cute and looks to be very high quality. I'm thinking she'll love her.....although maybe not as much as she loves her skateboard. Every girl needs a special doll IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I bought my doll happy 5yo an Our Generation doll and 3 outfits at Target for under $60. In a couple of years I'd consider getting her an AG, but I don't think she's really ready to have a doll that has to be pampered. Plus, she's not ready to read the AG books yet and I think that's a big part of the experience. That's what I did for older dd -- got her an Our Generation doll when she turned 6. She took excellent care of it, and played with it often. Eventually we got her an American Girl doll. She also saved her money to buy a 2nd AG doll for herself. We read the books as read alouds before she got the AG doll, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohio12 Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 thanks everyone. I am still undecided :tongue_smilie:, but I guess leaning against it for now. She is reading and we read the books together. but I would not even be considering it except that her two special friends are getting one. I wish it wasn't two weeks until Christmas that I am trying to figure all this out. I need time to plan and consider things like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Mom Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 thanks everyone. I am still undecided :tongue_smilie:, but I guess leaning against it for now. She is reading and we read the books together. but I would not even be considering it except that her two special friends are getting one. I wish it wasn't two weeks until Christmas that I am trying to figure all this out. I need time to plan and consider things like this. If the real reason your considering this is because her friends are getting them, I'd wait. I don't think going down the road "well everyone else has one" is a good track to be on, it would be different if she were begging for one. There's always her birthday if her interest continues. Good decision mom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I'm with you, but I went for it & got one for dd for Christmas. She is NOT a doll girl at all. But she loves the A.G. books and saw some pictures of the dolls recently and asked for one (it wasn't on her ask "Santa" list - that was her snowboard, heelies and bullfrog list!). I bit the bullet and ordered Molly (Samantha was backordered past Jan. 1) to give her from mom & dad. I just opened the box yesterday and the doll is very cute and looks to be very high quality. I'm thinking she'll love her.....although maybe not as much as she loves her skateboard. Every girl needs a special doll IMO. I had not seen a "real" AG doll up close before getting my DD her Xmas dolls. We have Bitty Baby but even that doll isn't the same quality. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the dolls. DD is going to be thrilled and they truly seem like a doll that can take the trauma pretty well. I have a friend who lives in Madison who used to work in the doll hospital and the tales she told me about some of the dolls that came in just cracked me up. :D One little girl enclosed a note with her headless doll that it had been "decapirulated" becuase she threw his toy tank in a river. I always wondered about the day THAT mom had. :glare: Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 We got K the Target doll for her 6th bday, partly because she's really into the AG books. She doesn't seem to mind that it's the wrong brand, she's just happy to have the doll. She takes good care of it and really plays with it a lot. I got the one that looked most like her, so maybe that helped? No way would I buy a $90 doll for anyone - that $$ could feed a family for a week (even longer where it's more needed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 thanks everyone. I am still undecided :tongue_smilie:, but I guess leaning against it for now. She is reading and we read the books together. but I would not even be considering it except that her two special friends are getting one. I wish it wasn't two weeks until Christmas that I am trying to figure all this out. I need time to plan and consider things like this. Since her two friends are getting one, let her pine away for a while. Delayed gratification makes the eventual getting that much sweeter. Maybe for her birthday, or if you don't give expensive b'day gifts, then next Christmas if she is still as excited about it. By then she'll be a little more mature and ready to take better care of it. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 We got K the Target doll for her 6th bday, partly because she's really into the AG books. She doesn't seem to mind that it's the wrong brand, she's just happy to have the doll. She takes good care of it and really plays with it a lot. I got the one that looked most like her, so maybe that helped? No way would I buy a $90 doll for anyone - that $$ could feed a family for a week (even longer where it's more needed). While that *is* true, we could say that about a lot of things we take for granted in this country. I bought the Target doll for one of my dd's before they saved up for their AG dolls. We still have it and it looks like something out of a horror movie. The oldest AG dolls have tangled hair (they are 5 years old) and slightly darkened skin but otherwise are as beautiful and well-put together as the day they were bought. Our younger girls play with these dolls daily and the older 2 (the 14 and 12) still host AG 'parties' for their sisters. This year they all got matching AG pj's and doll pj's for Christmas eve so they can all four have a sleepover while waiting for Christmas morning. The memories are priceless. Sure, they were expensive (and I've purchased each of them a second doll at some point during her childhood), but the long term replay value is enormous. My girls all plan to pass their dolls down to their girls so all the cousins can play together...I think they'll make it. Can't say the same for the Target doll. Just another perspective. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 We got K the Target doll for her 6th bday, partly because she's really into the AG books. She doesn't seem to mind that it's the wrong brand, she's just happy to have the doll. She takes good care of it and really plays with it a lot. I got the one that looked most like her, so maybe that helped? No way would I buy a $90 doll for anyone - that $$ could feed a family for a week (even longer where it's more needed). And I don't begrudge any family that chooses to get AG dolls, just like I don't begrudge any family that needs government aid. So we chose to get the AG dolls. Just another opinion... Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 My kids go through seasons of playing with them and seasons of not, but overall I do think it is worth it. These are quality dolls that they will probalby keep and give to their children. For example you can have any part of the doll replaced if it is too worn. When my kids approach High School I plan to send them in for repairs, so they look new, then they will become a "look at me" that probably sits on a shelf. Also as someone who sews, the clothes are very well made. It is one of the only company's I have seen that actually do a double seam. Some of the clothing we have had for 5 years (bitty baby) and they are still going strong even after being washed several times. Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texascamps Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I bought my doll happy 5yo an Our Generation doll and 3 outfits at Target for under $60. In a couple of years I'd consider getting her an AG, but I don't think she's really ready to have a doll that has to be pampered. Plus, she's not ready to read the AG books yet and I think that's a big part of the experience. This is a good idea. The ones at Target are very cheap, a good substitute. When she gets older, if she really wants a character doll then you can do it. We are getting our 3 yo an AG Kit doll this Christmas....partly because I bought it at a garage sale and it didn't cost us anything and because she wants to play with big sister and her doll...she is definitely more the stuffed animal lover. I have purchased outfits from Target for the AG dolls because they are cheaper and some are sooooo cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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