To think that 9 isn't too old to be playing with dolls?

[Dresses123]

I'd absolutely love to know if I'm being unreasonable. My daughter is 9, she likes her dolls still, it's not an issue. However, DM thinks I should slowly discourage her from playing with them. What do you think? I think 9 is still young, she has no interest in electronics, just her dolls, which I'd much rather!

Lots of older teens and adults collect dolls! Let her play with them as long as she likes. Being a child and playing imaginary games is such a wonderful thing, it's good for their brain development too, encourage it for as long as possible!

Yanbu. Dd got dolls the christmas she was 9 and still has some teddies etc on her bed at 12.

Nothing wrong with it.

Leave her alone. She will out grow them in her own time. (or maybe she will become an adult fan of dolls)

Useless info when Barbie was released she was targeted at pre and young teens as a fashion doll preparing for adulthood and adult fashions. But now people give Barbies to 4 year olds.

I should add for DH benefit many men still play with train sets, model building, etc would he tell a 9 yo DS he's too old?

We have a doll's house. And assorted baby dolls. Teenage girls (and one boy) from our street drop in regularly to "help" my much younger children play with them. And volunteer to tidy it, sort it, organise it, get very worried if I move it from its usual spot into a different room.

Let her be a child - your mother's wrong!

Yes absolutely fine, she is only 9 a child still, what do people think she should be interested in, boys and gadgets. Kids grow up so fast, yes she shod play with them.

Dh has many collectable figures, is he too old, should he stop. The mentality of some!

How sad that your mum thinks this :(

God as if girls aren't growing up too fast already!

Let her play with her dolls as long as she likes. What on earth could be the harm?

Another one adding to the chorus of let her be a child. And if I might make a serious point - I would have probably benefitted (for complicated reasons) from being able to play with dolls for longer.

There is no harm in exploring feelings, using imagination and creativity and developing empathy. These skills are not babyish.

I remember playing with my dolls/ponies/barbies until I was about 12. I realised that a lot of my friends had grown out of it by 12 so I just kept it quiet! It's fine, she will decide when she is bored of it.

I think that's about the age dd got her last new toy stroller.
Took me ages to find one big enough.

She's 13 soon and those days are long gone now.

Why do people put an age limite on things like dolls and teddies? This the second thread of this in the last few weeks and I know the last one was more serious. Children will grow out of them in their own time. I know some people go oh well they'll get bullied. Erm no they won't because most children still have them at the ages being suggested here.

8/9/10/11 are still so young.

Nope, certainly not too old. I myself didn't get my baby born doll till I was nearly 9.
I think the problem is, as the world becomes more focused on technology etc, we forget about proper play, and worry too much about what is "normal"

No not too old, my 10 year old plays with dolls still, and Lego, she also still has lots of teddies.
However I posted on this recently because DD does worry about what other children will think. There seems such a rush to ditch the toys and grow up into mini adults, it's sad. 🙁

I hate it the way, girls are pressured to grow up fast, there is always this thing, that girls are more mature than boys, and I think they are expected to act that way which is not on, they are still little children, that brief window of childhood will be gone in no time. Let her play with her dolls, she is only 9 not 19!

I still played with dolls after going to secondary school. I did swear my little sister to secrecy in case she told my new cool friends

I still had my beloved Barbies and teddies until well into secondary. I now collect Disney Tsum-Tsums and have a collection of Disney plush from each time I visited Florida :D

I hate this idea there's an upper age limit on playing with anything. Why does it matter? She will grow out of it eventually - and if not it will become age appropriate in its own way as pp have said!

Sometimes folk are in such a rush for children to grow up your dd is fine your mum is interfering, dd1 wasnt into dolls but dd2 was still playing with Barbie and Bratz at 9 in fact a lot of the girls then used to take the brat dolls to school and change outfits and do their hair this was 10yrs ago maybe being 9 has changed?but they grow up quick enough your dd is happy playing

My DD will be 11 next month. She spent most of yesterday with friends doing each other's nails. Today she might play with them and their dolls.

She is still a young child in so many ways.

Perfectly fine at 9! It is sad so many seem to want to drag their children out of childhood these days, I encourage my DD to still play with her toys, she has already had comments from classmates that My little pony is 'babyish'...she is 7 FFS.

Aero you are probably right about girls expected to be maturer than boys I bet if the girl was a boy the gran wouldnt be saying oh he is to old to be playing with those stsrwars figures

Oh for goodness sake 7 year olds saying MLP is babyish

No your DD is not too old to play with dolls. I remember my youngest still played with dolls at that age in fact she was still playing with them at 12 and her older sisters used to join in.

MrEbear sorry missed your post you are right about the model making etc Dh had model Railway that he built up painted scenery and all that nobody told him he was to old to play with trains