Barbies? - Page 4

[desertpenguin]

I don't have a dd, so I don't know if I will ever have to deal with this...but FWIW right now I don't think I would let my dd ever have a Barbie. I had tons of Barbies growing up (still have some that my parents made me collect, which I'm thinking about selingl them on ebay and make a couple of bucks off of them, since I didn't want to collect them in the first place!!!) I feel like they are *one* of the *many* factors that contributed to my poor self image. They're too sexy...I also don't like that they are so...consumerish....if that makes any sense. I mean, Barbie with her own credit card? Blech. I don't even like it when people give my ds clothes with cartoon characters on them.

[MamaBug]

desert you could make alot of $$ on ebay! That is exactly the kind of thing ppl like to buy!
As for being forced to collect, that stinks for you! Too bad they didn't ask what you WANTED to collect! And I do agree Barbie is very consumerish , but I thought she was pretty and since I was blonde as well maybe that is why I liked her so much?

[TinkerBelle]

I just looked on Ebay and there are a LOT of "Sunshine Family" dolls available and some at decent prices.

[UUMom]

I recently saw a new 'Ken' doll named Prince Adian-- I was impressed, because to me it looked like Gay Ken. He comes with a tiny white dog, which one of my children told me is actually a baby polar bear. :LOL

Here he is:

http://barbie.everythinggirl.com/cat...aspx?sku=G8403

[CountryMom2e]

I loved Barbies as a kid. I would dress them up, use blocks and boxes to make them houses and offices, and make up elaborate stories with them. I would play with them now if I could... hope I have a girl someday who enjoys them too.

I had two Ken dolls - one was Barbie's chauffeur and secretary (no joke) - the other was her boyfriend. Barbie was a CEO who worked in a top secret CIA computer lab. She worked by day and took bubble baths at night. I had one Barbie who lost her leg when I was facinated by Nadia Comenichi, so my dad reattached it with a bolt - she had had major hip surgery, and none of her friends minded her bolt when she wore swim suits.

Ethan is little now but I am pretty open to whatever toys he wants to play with, as long as they support open, creative play. I try to shy away from loud electronic toys, commercially affiliated toys (Dora, Blues Clues, Elmo, Rescue Heroes), violent toys, and single use toys.

[NYCVeg]

I loved Barbies and had a ton of them (a lot were hand-me-downs from my 3 older sisters). When I was 11 or so, my friend Melissa and I set up a Barbie brothel in her basement. : Where oh where did we get this idea? To be honest, I don't know that it was a bad thing...I think in some ways, I used games like that to work out my questions about sex--rather than actually fooling around with boys, like a lot of my peers were.

That said, I do find some Barbies today over the line and the Bratz dolls *really* creep me out. So, I think I would let my kids have Barbies, but I would 1) try to stick to ones that weren't too sexified (I think I saw a veterianarian Barbie recently) and 2) make sure that we had some frank discussions about how unrealistic Barbie is physically.

As an alternative, the Kelly dolls are cute and can be dressed up, but they're much younger and they look it. And I LOVE the look of those Only Hearts dolls!

[UUMom]

I really do think barbies can be used to work out issues like that, NYCVeg. My sister and I played with dolls, esp our Sunchine family and Love, Peace & Flower dolls, along with Barbies for a looooong time. GI Joe knocked them all up over and over again. In the Barbie camper. The Sunshine father was a good babysitter. My older sister and I waited until we were in our late 20's before we had our first child, and our younger sister was 34. So maybe all that role playing worked. :LOL

[MamaBug]

NYCVeg I hear you about those Brats Dolls, they are creepy, even the baby versions have makeup on?

[LunaMom]

Oh, don't evn get me started on those Bratz dolls. Isn't the name enough to make you cringe? Even the pets that come with them - excuse me, that's spelled "Petz" - have slutty looks on their faces! Cat sluts!!! :LOL

Those Only Hearts dolls look adorable. Another alternative is the Wee 3 Friends dolls, actually made by Mattel, the company that makes Barbies. They're wearing trendy clothes but they are not sexy, and they have sweet expressions on their faces. DD has a set of them. They have really pretty hair, nicer than most barbies, too, if your child is into hair on dolls. Here's a link:
Wee 3 Friends

[Ruthla]

My daughters and son play with Barbie dolls. I see them as a vehicle for creative play- no more, no less. At this point, the girls use them as models for their budding fashion design/sewing projects, and ds likes to run cars over them.

I WILL say that, their present fashion doll collection is a great model for teaching about disabilities- most are missing one or more limbs, and Ken keeps losing his head!!!

[desertpenguin]

MamaBug, I sure hope I can make some good money off of them...That would make up for not being allowed to take them out of the box to play with them!!!! (I know, they sell for a lot more in an unopened box....but I really did NOT care about that at the age of 8!!! :LOL )

[Lady Madonna]

Originally Posted by Lucky

OT...

Lady Madonna - One of my friends gave ds a Groovy Guy(a soft, cloth doll,) when he was 2 yo and ds loved it.

Thanks! I'm glad I came back to this thread - I did a search and now have on-line shops that carry the Groovy dolls bookmarked! Heck, I might get one or two for DD for Christmas this year!

[MamaBug]

I bet, that must have stunk to not be able to open them! And yes, it is called MIB or Mint in Box, make SURE you say that in your description, and also if they are from a smoke free home as well.

Cat sluts!!!

OMG that is hysterical! :LOL

[LunaMom]

: Yeah, well, now my 14 year old male neutered cat is really, really depressed. "Oh, man, I just find out about this now when I'm old, fat, and have no cojones..."

[Milky Way]

I played with them and would let my children play with them.

[StillForest]

Struggling with this right now.... I wasn't ever into Barbies as a kid. My brother and I made up all sorts of complex houses, landscapes, and stories for Fisher Price Little People and an assortment of stuffed animals.

My 4 y.o. DD has asked for a Barbie for her birthday or Christmas. DD loves dress up, glitter, sparkle, and princesses. We don't do Disney but have still ended up with a Princess Obsession (another thread...).

I just got a Chinese Barbie (DD is half Chinese) off Ebay (NIB!). I think that I'll give her Chinese Barbie and one of the Only Heart Club or Get Real Girl dolls to
illustrate differences.