question about american girl doll age appropriateness

[samstress]

please bear with me, i know there have been tons of threads about ag dolls (and dolls in general).

dd is going to turn four in april.  we had planned on getting her a baby doll (hadn't decided on which one yet), but thought it would be a good idea (i'm pregnant and am expecting in may).  thought it would be nice for dd to have her own little baby (just like mama).  anyway, that was the plan.  hadn't even discussed it with her, just decided on it.  however, the other day i asked her what she would like for her birthday and she said a doll (great!), but upon further discussion, it turns out she doesn't want a baby doll, but a girl doll (like an ag doll).  tried to convince her that a baby doll would be fun, but she really preferred the little girl dolls (that she can dress up and customize, etc).

so, i went to the website and it says that those dolls are for ages 8 and up.  honestly, i can't imagine waiting until she's eight to get her such a thing.  i'm thinking at that point she'd be outgrowing dolls (although i honestly don't know that for sure).

anyone have one of these dolls for a younger child?  anyone know why the age recommendation is so high? 

i'm thinking of one of the "my american girl" dolls that you pick the hair and eye color for.

i'm not concerned about dd destroying the doll, she's pretty careful with her stuff.

[averlee]

I've noticed that some of the American Girl doll accessories have teeny-tiny parts. There's a picnic set that has these little cookies that are smaller than dimes. My daughter, who's almost 4, would have no problem keeping them out of her mouth, but some kids stick everything down their windpipe. That may be why the age recommendation is so high, also age 8 seems closer to the reading level for the book series.

Basically, I think it would be a fine doll for your daughter.

Edited to add: One of my daughter's favorite baby doll sets is this little cheapie thing from Walmart. I think it was $5, it came with a small "newborn" doll about 4-5 inches tall/long, and a bunch of little things like a hat, outfit, baby bottle, little rolling horse for baby to play on, a tiny velcro diaper, a tiny potty, a little plate and spoon, etc. The body of the doll is all plastic and can go in the bathtub. She plays with this set every day while many of her nicer dolls (including the expensive Corolle her grandma got her at Macy's) get much less playtime.

[CatsCradle]

My DD got the American Girl Doll, Rebecca, when she was 3.5.  She is now 4.5 and still cares for that thing and even creates outfits for her (not sewn, but out of found materials or other old baby clothes).  She has loved it since the day she got it.  I didn't realize that the age recommendation was 8 years old until long after DD got it.  Rebecca is one of the historical dolls but DD treats her as a contemporary.

I really do think whether it is age appropriate depends on the child.  I know of some children DD's age who would not be interested in the doll or perhaps handle it a little roughly.  I inherited one of my grandmother's suitcases and we keep the doll and all her stuff in there.  DD isn't as interested in "baby dolls" as she used to be.  She seems to have more fun dressing Rebecca and doing pretend stuff with her like tea parties and picnics, etc.

[samstress]

averlee - thanks that's exactly what i wanted to hear.  i really want to get her one, but wanted to make sure i wasn't making a huge mistake.

i'm not concerned about dd putting anything in her mouth.  she has a playmobil toy with very tiny pieces and that's never been a problem.  even when she was at the put-things-in-your-mouth age, she didn't really do it.

i guess the concern would be that once baby is here, keeping that kind of stuff away from him/her.  but i guess that's going to be true anytime you have an infant and a four year old in the same house. 

i guess dd will just have to grow into the books.

[samstress]

thanks CatsCradle.  i feel that my daughter would really love this.  it's good to hear that others her age do.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

We started buying AG dolls for my nieces years ago, as each turned 7.  The company recommended that age since they wanted the girls to be able to read the historical stories on their own and they are at about that reading level.  Virtually all of them outgrew the dolls very quickly, seemingly a huge waste of money.  I really wish we had started earlier and they had gotten more use out of them.  My turning 8 tomorrow DD has largely outgrown dolls, much to my dismay.  So, especially since you aren't considering the historical ones, I would definitely disregard the age recommendation.  I wish I had bought my DS one of these about 3 years ago, but it seems I've missed my chance.

[samstress]

thanks mamas.  i think you've all convinced me to just go ahead and get it (and that four years old is a completely appropriate age).

[greenemami]

we got dd a dol like the AG dolls for christmas when she was 3.5 or so.  She LOVES it, by far her favorite present.  it is the our generation doll from target, it was about $20.  She also plays with dsd's "real" AG doll and and she treats both of them very well and enjoys them so much.  I say go for it!

[samstress]

Originally Posted by greenemami 

I say go for it!

thanks.  i definitely am.  dd and i went on the website yesterday and she created her doll.  straight, red hair and blue eyes.  oh, and dd decided that she wanted her to have glasses (no pierced ears, but glasses).  i'm guessing it's because i wear glasses.  maybe, maybe not.  so, the doll will be from dh and i and i'm thinking of letting others looking for gift ideas know that she's getting the doll so maybe they could get an outfit for the doll.  dd saw some outfits that she liked. 

any AG accessories that your little ones just love?