She wants a plastic doll!

[jgale]

Argh!  I thought about posting this in parenting, but I thought perhaps you crafty folks might better understand my frustration.  My almost 6-year old daughter has specifically requested a plastic Rapunzel doll from Target for her birthday.  I think she must have heard about the 'tangled' doll.  I think she knew I was sort of bummed (I've always made all her dolls), so she also requested a homemade princess doll. 

I'm really torn about the target doll--which I believe is essentially a Barbie.  I fear it is a slippery slope and once a plastic doll is introduced into the mix, she won't love her cloth dolls anymore.  I hate Barbies.  But of course this is all my baggage, and what the heck is the big deal?  What if I got her the horrible thing and she loved it and played with it.  Wouldn't that be just fine?

What do you think I should do?  (keep in mind, I would be perfectly thrilled to make her a rapunzel doll, and prince). 

[OkiMom]

Honestly Id get it for her, if its not to expensive. I know its disappointing but if that's what she wants. My two wanted plastic princess dolls.. They played with them for a couple of months now they sit in the bottom of the toy box... Their dolls I made them are played with daily. Its like a fascination I think, mine wanted them when they saw the other girls at church playing with them but they quickly figured out they weren't that fun or "special". I think they appreciate the things Ive made them MORE now because they realize that they are special to them, I make each one with the girl in mind.

[dakotablue]

I'm dealing with a similar debate with DS. He does have some plastic toys (little people), so I'm not quite where you are BUT

We went over a friends house and her son had a buzz doll and a woody doll (from Toy story) DS has seen this movie a few times (we use tv for special mommy daddy time occasionally)

He fell in love with the woody doll and carried it every where he went for the 4 hours we were there. When we left he cried and the little boy let DS borrow buzz, now DS hasn't put buzz down for three days.

its kinda commercialism, but I hate to cost an almost 2 year old something great if he truly loves this toy. I mean I feel its kinda hypocritical of me to say I only want DS to have toys to spark imagination when he's currently trying to feed buzz and was helping woody slide. But I'm only looking at imagination not aversion to plastic, which for us I'm not entirely opposed to some. 

Dh and I talked about it and I think we will buy him (if on sale/ cheap or used) a non battery version of buzz or woody IF he says this interested for the rest of the week (we are returning toy on sun)

And so far DS hasn't attached himself to any toys until now. BUT this would be a special exception and we have no intention of buy every toy story item or tons of plastic. 

I don't think its a slippery slope unless you let it be...

[NatureMom2Two]

I don't believe in Barbies or princess dolls as a general rule...but I will say that my daughter has a few that were gifted by family or well-intended friends, and I have never taken them from her. She doesn't play much with them and, when she does, it is creative, non-stereotyped play. I think buying the doll along with a handful of other Disney propaganda - the hair brush and barettes, the bedding and shoes, the shirt and underpants and dress up outfit and, and, and - might cross the line and send some unfortunate messages. I won't even let the kids watch the movies. But you know, if she wants the doll, I would grin through my teeth and go out and make said purchase. It's one doll and, so long as you limit it there, it won't do her any harm. In some ways, that hard line of prohibition only makes it seem more alluring, especially when all of one's friends have those very princess dollies. By caving on this, you remove the allure without jumping head-first into the realm of all things commercial.

[Lisa85]

It's just a plastic doll.  And if she *really* loves her cloth dolls, she won't throw them by the wayside when introduced to plastic.  Yes, cloth is more beautiful but plastic isn't evil..

[E.V. Lowi]

I believe kids should be allowed to choose their own friends.

[FarmerBeth]

I make toys, originally for my kids and family and now as a side business on Etsy, so I'm hearing you about the plastic - BUT looking back with my third child now 7 years old and the oldest firmly entrenched in the preteens, I think that when I used to worry about this I was sweatin' the small stuff.  My daughter (the middle child) inherited unlikely plastic My Little Ponies from her cousins, which she cherished and played with.  She also treasured the all natural materials Kathe Kruse horses she got one special birthday and the horses I knit and needle felted for her.  My Little Pony didn't take any of that away from her.  And my youngest son fell in love with a plastic baby boy doll (pretty realistic looking) that he found in a Frenchy's (second hand store chain found in the Maritimes of Canada) as a toddler, and totally loves plastic action figures from comic books (the uglier the better) that he gets from his comic book loving godfather.  But this last birthday he asked me to make him something to play make believe knights with, and he'll happily play with the handmade horse and knight doll or tie old upholstery fabric around his shoulders and swing a sharpened stick around "being King Arthur".  I don't think the odd plastic toy will send your child down a slippery slope.  If children see a broad range of choices while not being bombarded with too many toys, then they'll pick what they need from it to express their imaginations.

[E.V. Lowi]

Farmerbeth, I agree and you said it so well!

[mb122]

I've made most of my kids' doll and toys, especially when they were younger,...but sure, they have the occasional plastic stuff, too.  they each have a kathe kruse plastic doll (mini bambinas) and two of them have a larger plastic doll "with hair we can brush!". 

but the rest of their dolls were made by me and they love them all.

these days, though, as they get older, there are lots of legos and things around.  if i could figure out how to make those, i would :).

i say buy the doll.  like someone said above, it's not a slippery slope...

[jgale]

Belated thanks for all the replies.  She actually stopped asking about the tangled doll quite a bit before her birthday, so I didn't get it for her, and she didn't end up receiving any dolls for her birthday.  Here we are approaching the winter holidays now though, so it's all back on my mind.  I love the image of the my little ponies in the mix with fancy wool and humble homemade horses.  Thanks for the thoughts.

J

[GearGirl]

I wasn't allowed these dolls when I was little, my mother was against Barbie, cheerleading, and getting married before 30, lol. I also was not allowed junk food unless it was Halloween or something. As an adult I am so impressed that she followed through with all of that, but I can say that I do buy my daughter Barbie and she just finished a cheerleading class, mostly because I want to encourage her in ways she is interested in even if it is Barbie. I also think sometimes I over compensated as an adult, like when I tried a Twinkie in college and loved it. By then all my friends were so over that kind of thing and I thought it was the beat thing ever!