[root*children]

Hey!
A friend of mine just called up saying her DD got a Bratz doll for Christmas. She said DD could not keep it and they would find a more suitable doll. Her concerns are that this doll looks so anorexic and freaky. The girl is 6yo, has always played with Waldorf dolls, but is very fascinated with the idea of a grown-up or teenager doll, kwim? She likes that it's not a baby, and that it has lots of clothes to change into. Any ideas for a doll that is not so offensive to the eyes?
Much love mamas!
TIA!

 

[Linda KS]

I hate Bratz dolls!

What about an 18 inch doll like an American Girl doll. The genuine American Girl dolls are $$$$$$$, but Toys R Us, Target, and Walmart all sell similar dolls for a reasonable price. These dolls are nice because they look like girls -- not babies, not grownups, but just girls. There are tons of clothes and accessories for them and Target even sells horses the right size for them. My DDs love these for pretend play.

 

[Cloverlove]

I really like Corolle Dolls. They also come with lots of outfits and accessories.

They are great dolls and they smell like vanilla!

 

[ctdoula]

What about Groovy Girls? Are they still popular w/the kids, LOL? They're pretty "teenagerish" without being anorexic, etc.

 

[Viola]

How about the Only Hearts line: http://www.denverdoll.com/onlyheartsclub.htm

 

[girlndocs]

There's probably a big assortment of dolls of all shapes & sizes at her local Goodwill. Their hair might be a little funky though :LOL And it might be a little more challenging to find/make clothes that fit. (When I was little, though, I would make do a lot -- belting too-big doll dresses so they fit a smaller doll & so forth.)

 

[root*children]

Well, the thrift only usually has baby dolls. I think she looking for something easy to buy (not on the internet). But I'll check out those links. And I do think that's a good idea just to go to Walmart or Target and see what there is. We were wondering about Groovy Girls, too, but didn't know what they were.

 

[moondiapers]

I can't stand Bratz either, why on earth would anyone want their young girl to play with a doll that has an F--- me face and B---J-- lips? That was honestly my very first impression of them. They look like Ladies of the Night. Which is fine, but not for my 8yo thankyou very much.

-Heather

 

[boomingranny]

second the groovy girls - rag dolls in all complexions and hair combos. hip without being pretentious. cool clothes and accessories, even have a website. not expensive either.

cheers

 

[lisamarie]

i love those only hearts line of dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!! yes, check out the groovy girls too. also the american girls line used to carry a mini line of the dolls for much cheaper.

good luck-

lisa:bf

 

[Viola]

Dready*Mama, the Only Hearts line of dolls is carried by a local toy store which is how I found out about them in the first place. I just posted a link so that you could check them out. I was looking through the flyer the toy storeq sent out and I thought they were a pretty good price at $15 a piece. I liked their faces. Unfortunately they aren't very racially diverse from what I can tell.

 

[Marsupialmom]

Flame me but I half like the BRATZ dolls. Ok, maybe it is not like but I think they are better than Barbies. They are sooooooo out of proportion that my girls know they would never look like that.

My girls told me they had so much make up on they looked like clowns (made me happy).

 

[Meiri]

American Girls does still sell the miniature versions of the 18" dolls.

Better yet, they have a line of Girls From Many Lands 9" dolls, which they are discontinuing.

The price now while they last is $16 for doll and her book. We have Minuk, the Yup'ik girl, and for her birthday DD will be getting Leyla from Turkey. I also have Neela, from India, stashed for future gift. These dolls look like real girls, each girl having her own features rather then being like Barbie all with the same face in a different skin tint. There's an Ethiopian girl, a French girl--court of Louis XIV, an English girl--Elizabethan times, a Turkish girl, an Indian girl--time of Ghandi, and an Alaskan Yup'ik girl from 1890, so there's a fair amount of diversity. They can be dressed however a girl can come up with I think if she didn't want to leave them in their historical or traditional garb.

I'm thinking we should get one or the other of the European girls, but really, how many dolls do DD and I (Minuk is mine) need?

 

[Mirzam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amywillo How about the Only Hearts line: http://www.denverdoll.com/onlyheartsclub.htm

My 7 year old has two of these with several outfits and gets a great deal of enjoyment from them. She isn't a doll kind of girl but she loves these. She and her 4 year old brother play for a couple of hours at a stretch with the dolls and their pet doggies! My 14 year old is happy to join in too sometimes!

 

[Kari_mom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meiri Better yet, they have a line of Girls From Many Lands 9" dolls, which they are discontinuing. .... I'm thinking we should get one or the other of the European girls, but really, how many dolls do DD and I (Minuk is mine) need?

Hee hee, I gave my dd Celeste for Christmas for herself and Spring Pearl for me, she is my favorite! It was hard not to buy them all!

I love all the American Girl stuff. Sure, it is sanitized history, but I don't think young girls need all the gory details and they truly do celebrate strong girls and promote a healthy self-image. And the American Girl Today line is quite trendy without the streetwalker look.

 

[Meiri]

Kari mom, I don't think the history is quite that sanitized. In Minuk's story, her whole family except for herself and her younger brother, and the entire family of the young man she is to marry, as well as most of the rest of the village, die in one of the Influenza epidemics. No punches were pulled in that story.

I'm not planning to read it to DD any time soon, though I will tell her about how Flu and other illnesses wiped out large chunks of NA populations. She can wait a few years I think for faces to be put with the deaths.

I haven't read any of the other stories yet. I did like how the story resolved, and they do have a history chapter at the end too.

 

[Kari_mom]

Meiri, it is funny you bring that up, because I seriously *just* finished reading Minuk's story since my previous post. I will agree it is not as sanitized as the historical American Girls series. It is also intended for an older audience. I have found that the writing for the Girls of Many Lands books is a bit simple considering that it is for older readers. And I have read another book for this age group, Fever 1793, that I think is even more blunt about epidemics. But I have only read two of the GOML books myself, the other was Kathleen and no one dies in that one. I have read all of the historical American Girls book series plus most of the short stories, and I do think they gloss over some of the less appealing historical facts, but not inappropriately for the intended audience. My daughter is 11yo, and is ready to tackle more difficult topics. I have three more Girl of Many Lands books to read from Christmas gifting for my daughter, I can't wait to see how they are handled.

But all this talk about the books does bring up a good point for the OP. I think that having the AG or GOML stories to build and support the character represented by the dolls creates an experience that can't be matched by Barbie, Bratz or any other popular 'fashion' doll.

 

[Linda KS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kari_mom But all this talk about the books does bring up a good point for the OP. I think that having the AG or GOML stories to build and support the character represented by the dolls creates an experience that can't be matched by Barbie, Bratz or any other popular 'fashion' doll.

I agree. We are reading the American Girl books and the characters are wonderful strong girls with character. They are strong and brave and they do interesting things..

I don't find the books we've read so far (Kit and Kirsten) sanitized for their target audience. I've told other moms they should read the books themselves before reading to their DD or giving them to their DDs to read because the books are emotionally complex.