Being wierd about DD having Barbie dolls

[happysunshinedays]

She's 4 and going to big school in September. On the last day of Preschool she had a wobble that night and said the other children wouldn't play with her. She's got loads of good friends out of school and generally very social, lovely girl.

Then she told me that other (seemingly very popular girls) in her class love Barbie. Have also heard about High School Musical as being a Preschool trend.

I don't want her to be the odd-bod in the class obviously, but saw some Barbies for sale today and couldn't bring myself to buy them! All boobs and legs!

Trying to find the line between her natural desire to fit in and encouraging her to grow up too quickly.

Any words of wisdom??

my DD 4 1/2
watches Barbie dvd whch are quite good. A neighbour gave us some Barbies her daughter grew out of and we didnt give them to her,I dont think they are really fit for a 4 yr old

don't sweat the small stuff

Just buy her one. It'll have its hair cut off and get discarded in the bottom of the toy box before you know it! I had great fun as a kid scalping my Barbie and colouring in the remaining mohican with felt tips. I didn't grow up feeling inadequate because my boobs are small and inoffensive (well... maybe I did a bit! )

Point is toys are just toys. My DD is currently obsessed with pengiuns but I doubt she'll grow up wanting to look like one.

that should be penguins, pardon my cack-handed typing!

My DD is 4 too. Most of her friends have Barbies, but I have to admit that I am not too keen.

She was actually given one for her 3rd birthday by my SIL but TBH, after she had stripped it and lost its clothes the novelty wore off. It is no doubt stuffed upside down at the back of a toy box somewhere...

I suppose if she really wanted one then at the end of the day it is only a doll... but I'm quite happy with her not being interested in them!

Someone gave my daughter a Barbie at about that age, but I noticed when she played with it and with her other (fat baby) dolls and with her Sylvanian family (remember them, anyone?), one of the Sylvanians would often be the mother and the fat baby doll would be the teenager and the Barbie would be the baby.

I don't think they see the dolls in the same way we do!

FGS just buy her one. My mother refused (early 70s feminist) and I resented it for years. All my friends had a Barbie or a Sindy. Admittedly I was 7 rather than 4 but still.

Pjmama ,LOL about mohican cut.

I totally hate barbies but think I would just buy her one with very little hoo haa and hope she gets bored with it.

Have a think about why you hate them. If it is a body image thing maybe talk about how she isnt real and people dont look like that. and more importantly don't ever talk about your body negatively as that will be more powerful than a plastic doll.

My little girl had just turned 4 before she started school last September and I was worried about the same thing. I hadn't bought her barbies etc but other relatives did that summer just before she started school, she wasn't that bothered with them but does play with them now. Although her little sister pulls the arms and legs of them so now they look really strange and are just all boobs We had seen High School Musical or HSM as the cool kids call it!!but she loves singing and dancing. To be honest she seems to have come on so much this first year at school, she was always sociable but she's like a real little girl and although sad it is so fantastic to see her reading and going to her school plays etc. She also got really into art/crafty things which her teacher said was brillant for this age group - using scissors etc. Just wait to the constant stream of birthday parties!! Good luck and enjoy it, it really is a brillant time

My Barbie was slightly taller than my brother's Action Man and so was awesome at giving karate kicks to his head.

Rather my DD had a barbie as opposed to a bratz [shudder]

When you think bout it, Barbie has had some pretty impressive careers Between us me and my sisters had:

Olympic skier barbie
surfer barbie
teacher barbie
swanlake barbie
doctor barbie
vet barbie
Olympic swimmer barbie
ans one or 2 others who's jobs I cant recall

The only bratz I can think of are:

Cheerleader in indecently short skirt bratz
Groupie in indecently short skirt bratz
hussy in indecently short skirt bratz

My mum wouldn't let me have Barbies either. My best friend gave mer her old ones...

Thunderpants,

Have a dvd but she always opts for Alvin and Chipmunks. Might try and remind her of dvd so she can keep up with trend!

Activate - sure you're right but doesn't feel like small stuff when I'm sending my first baby to big school and worried about a lifetime of her trying to fit in!!

YANBU. My DD is also 4 and going to big school in September. Today she recognised Barbie on a t-shirt in a shop and I was surprised. She doesn't have any Barbie dolls and I'm uncomfortable with them for her age group.

I can absolutely see what's so appealing about her for a 4yo (the same as appealed to me about Sindy, but I didn't get one of those til I was 7 and that came from a friend's mum ) but I'd rather DD played with dolls that looked at least a bit like her - a little girl - and not a grown woman. Even Polly Pocket looks very womanly to me. Not easy to find dolls that look like little girls, though (at least, I haven't seen many).

So, I know she's my oldest and I may be overthinking things, but to me, Barbie does represent girls sometimes wanting to grow up too quickly. I'm happy to police her doll ownership a bit longer . Just don't get me started on Bratz...

My dd2 has just turned 4 and also starts school this September. She likes dressing and undressing them repeatedly (lost count how many times this morning- need bang head against brick wall emotion.

She also only knows of High School Musical from her slighly older sister. However she is adamant when they are playing she wants to be Ryan, not Gabriella or Sharpay. (hope somebody reading this knows that this is the slightly camp brother of "pink princess" Sharpay). My point being even if you do submit to the world of pink plastic- they may surprise you with their own imagination

Perhaps I'm being naive, but I never had a problem with Barbie because she has a bit more to her than the Bratz dolls. In this house we've had Astronaut Barbie, Teacher Barbie, Doctor Barbie, Olympic Athlete Barbie, Businesswoman Barbie, Pilot Barbie... at least she sort of does something, iykwim.

Sorry, x-post with prozac!

My dd has [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mattel-Wee-Friends-Snow/dp/B0002717BM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid=128008 7967&sr=8-4 wee 3 friends dolls]. They are related to Barbie but have slightly more realistic bodies and flat feet, and seem younger/less glamorous than Barbie.

Just as much play appeal but not so offensive to feminist sensibilities.

I resisted Barbies until she started being given them as presents. I drew the line at Bratz though. They're just dolls to them. Probably some subliminal damage going on but...

If its a boob issue!! the "Barbies" from the supermarkets are a lot less boobalicious and also have wide and varied careers!! And at 4 you are still lucky enough to get away with supermarket brands

Sindy's are a better shape too I think

Melpomene Thank you for the link! Flat-chested and funky and with dogs! Just what I'm after.

my dd is nearly 4 and starts school in september. she does not have barbie dolls but the films mesmerise her so they are fab for a rainy day. she also has a couple of barbie sticker books.
she does however, have a disney sleeping beauty doll and a tinkerbell which are similar, but like somneone mentioned before, they get mixed in with her fisher price doll's house dolls to be the mum, sister, friend etc.

you are attributing adult values onto barbie.whereas dd will just see a wee dolly.she wont consider barbie a sexualised icon for all thats wrong

ease up.buy her barbie