Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Sunshine Family

About 10 years ago I ordered a set of Sunshine family dolls off of eBay. When I was a little girl, the Sunshine Family was my LIFE.  They were hippie dolls from the late 60s /early 70s. The mom wore little Birkenstok sandals and had regular body proportions and flat feet just like real people. They had a country store, a house, and a farm with a cow that "produced" milk (water) and a chicken that laid little plastic eggs. The sets came with little booklets that taught you how to make furniture for them out of tissue boxes and cardboard toilet paper holders. So, so awesome. There was a grandma and grandpa, too. Several years ago, I got the whole set on eBay in mint condition, with the little plastic bands still wrapped around their heads. They weren't cheap, but I was so happy to have them again, at the ripe old age of 30 or so. When Olivia was a toddler, she got a hold of one of the babies from the set and ate it's eye. That's when I put them in a glass box. That hasn't stopped my girls from coveting the dolls, though.

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:

michelle Manis said...

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.

Kate said...

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.

Kim said...

When you think about it, aren't we all hookers anyway? Just sayin'.

Jaime said...

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....

Linsey said...

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.

Jen said...

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!

discodiva1979 said...

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.

Anonymous said...

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.