Lately, my girls' favorite pastime is playing "Red Carpet" with their Barbies. They videotape the Barbies in their various skanky outfits, posing as an interviewer and talking about their outfits and who designed them. I've tried to buy/make Barbie clothes don't look like they came from "HookersRUs", but they of course love those sparkly tramp dresses best. Now, I love a Red Carpet show as much as the next person, but it kind of grosses me out that my seven year-old daughters are playing it with their dolls.
So, here's my dilemma. Do I take the beloved dolls from my past and give them to the girls in hopes of more wholesome play? I'm kind of feeling like I'll get more enjoyment seeing my girls play with them than I do from just seeing them in a box. On the other hand, the girls will probably re-dress the mom and grandma in hooker suits as soon as I hand them over. I refuse to tell the girls they have to keep the hippie clothes on the dolls. I try to never suggest how they play with their toys as long as beating each other with them isn't involved.
Speaking of beating, Jack asked me to phone Henry's doctor and ask when he can start clobbering him again. So sweet that he's concerned, isn't it?
Update:
The dolls have been lovingly passed on.
8 comments:
Doug took his Star Wars action figures out of the attic this last weekend for the kids to play with. It was clearly painful for him to watch the toys being played with initially, but after they were done playing and the toys were back in their boxes, Doug pondered the "value" of the dolls to him (hidden in the attic) and to the kids (actively playing with them). The toys did not go back in the attic and the children are being respectful with the toys and still having a good time.
I say let them play, with a few ground rules on putting them in a safe place when they are done. If you found them once, you could find them again if you needed to.
Michelle, I finally realized that I'm not a collector, I just loved those dang dolls so much I wanted to have them around me. I'm getting a million times more gratification watching the girls play with them than I ever did having them in a glass box. Mitch gave the boys his Star Wars action figures when they were about the same age.
When you think about it, aren't we all hookers anyway? Just sayin'.
I LOVED the Sunshine Family when I was a kid! My daughter, also 7, would so have the grandmother in the hooker outfit. Or maybe the grandfather....
Thanks for your thoughts on the Leapster. We're driving from DC to LA and back this summer and then headed to Europe so I'm thinking, yeah, this might be the time to get them. I'm definitely getting a DVD player for the car too, that is not even up for debate. Your rules sound good. Clearly, I've just about made up my mind.
When Kelsey and Cait were not much younger, they could actually play "Barbie Idol" and not fight, so guess it was worth the lady of the night-ness on Barbie's part...
Love the Sunshine family and glad they are enjoying them!
Recently I just came across all the star spangled MIB Sunshine dolls including the Sunshine family. I did not hesitate and bought them all for my granddaughter. I have been collecting thrift Barbies for her too. Nice to see your daughters enjoying the dolls-life is too short NOT TO DEBOX.
I too have a Sunshine family that I never was quite able to give to my girls. I did let my oldest play with it when she had been exposed to the chicken pox and had to stay home from her cousins baptism. She took good care of them, but I never fully gave them over and they are in a box in the closet. I get them out now and again and reminisce though. If they had e-bay back when my girls were little, I would have probably bought a set just for them.
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