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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not buying LOL dolls for DD

119 replies

soloula · 29/08/2018 16:16

Is anyone else in the same boat? DD1 is 4, nearly 5 and just started school a few weeks ago. Ever since she started she’s been going on about LOL dolls and asking when she can get one. We don’t really buy many toys outwith birthdays and Christmas and I don’t really want to go down that road. They seem expensive, especially as you can end up with doublers, and we’ve also been making a real effort to cut down on toys. It also seems like it’s a competition amongst the mums as much as the kids to get rare ones. At the same time, I really don’t want DD to feel left out. I know this will be the first of many trends that I won’t feel comfortable keeping up with but I don’t want DD to suffer because of my decisions iykwim. AIBU to not buy them? What have you done if you’ve felt the same as me?

OP posts:
Kraggle · 29/08/2018 16:19

Theyre awful such a waste of money but my dd like all the other kids loves them. And shopkins, and num noms and all the other plastic tat. She gets them very rarely as a present for good behaviour or doing little jobs in the house.

Once you get past the opening they very rarely get played with.

JeremiahBackflip · 29/08/2018 16:20

My 7 year olds friends are into LOL dolls. I've just not bought them for her. She asks and I've said no. Because she has so many other toys. She's not that bothered really.

She's not disadvantaged or suffering. She has other toys her friends don't have And I doubt their parents have worried about buying their daughters the same.

Dieu · 29/08/2018 16:24

What don't you just buy one, as a wee treat for having just started school. They're a tenner, if memory serves me right.
I personally wouldn't hesitate, especially if her peers are all getting the same thing.
Perfectly willing to accept that I will be in the minority however Hmm

Soubriquet · 29/08/2018 16:47

My 5 year old loves them.
I don't think they are that badly priced for an occasional toy.

The bigger £30-£60 ones, I'm going to get her for Christmas

So I think you a being a little unreasonable.

All kids go through these fads with silly items.

You did it when you was a kid

Nix32 · 29/08/2018 16:53

My 7 year old got one for Christmas and has saved up and bought a few more since then. They've been played with loads and have provided hours of entertainment. I was sceptical at first, but they have been worth the money. She's got six; a mixture of pets, little sisters and the normal sized ones. She hasn't had any duplicates but I won't be buying many more - she certainly won't be collecting a whole series!

Hufflefloof · 29/08/2018 17:25

Why not start up some sort of pocket money system, a pound or two a week, where she can save up and buy what she chooses with her own money. It’s surprising how much stuff my boys want, until I suggest they use their pocket money, and suddenly they don’t really want it that much.

Namechange8471 · 29/08/2018 17:28

Don't you remember being young op? I was the same with playstation games etc .

Don't be tight and treat her!

Frogscotch7 · 29/08/2018 17:29

My dd is mad about them too. I think they are outrageous. So it’s christmas/birthdays or save up and buy them yourself. She seems ok with that. She doesn’t get pocket money as such but saves tooth fairy money or anything she gets from granny.

chitofftheshovel · 29/08/2018 17:43

I never bought fad type toys for my daughter, she's 11 now and really thinks about what she spends her chore money on.

kitkatsky · 29/08/2018 17:45

They are such a waste of money, but if you buy them (also shopkins etc) on Ali express it brings down the cost loads, tho obv you need to order several weeks before you need them, so get organised! X

CoperCabana · 29/08/2018 17:49

Our kids earn them with chores etc. I think the novelty is wearing off thankfully.

im2fat · 29/08/2018 17:51

There tat but my DDs love them.
I bought them as presents or given them as reward for good behaviour .i.e. good school report. In fairness the youngest DD (age 6) played with them a lot not just the opening but that the oldest DD (age 10) is only interested in.

If you can afford them then I don't see the harm In buying her one but if you can't afford it she isn't going to suffer by not having one

Xx

im2fat · 29/08/2018 17:52

Not sure why I posted kisses Blush

ZigZagZebras · 29/08/2018 17:53

There's about 5 different series of them to avoid duplicates. DD has one of each and loves the pet ones especially. The little sister ones are only £6 so maybe get her one of those for starting school well then let her pick a different one for Xmas?

ContadoraExplorer · 29/08/2018 18:03

Dont know if this is entirey relevant and no kids yet so things might be different now but I remember when I was young Polly Pockets were the toy of choice and I really wanted one. My gran took me to the toy shop as I had some spending money and pointed out that for the price of one Polly Pocket I could have X, Y and Z (basically pointed out how shit they were in a nice way) and on weighing it up I went with the better/multiple toys. Didn't feel left out with any of my friends and never regretted the decision.

guiltynetter · 29/08/2018 18:22

my DD is 4 too and she absolutely loves them. i’ve managed to explain (drill into her!) that they are lots of pennies and not something you get as a regular thing. she’s had them for christmas and birthdays and as a special treat if she’s been extra good. she’s also saved up her own money for them from money my grandma has given her etc. she plays with them loads swapping the outfits etc. the only thing i hate is the waste of plastic packaging that they’re wrapped in.

if you can afford it i would get her one as a one off, it seems a bit mean otherwise 🙈

Original poster
soloula · 30/08/2018 07:00

I must admit, I don't really remember any must have collectable type toys when I was wee. I'm 40 and a child of the 80s so the must haves tended to be the bigger things you got for your birthday or Christmas- cabbage patch kids, star wars sets, keypers etc. I think Polly pocket may well have been one of the first type like LOL that I can think of and I was a wee bit older when they came out so this is all new to me. We collected things like rubbers and panini stickers but they were really pocket money treats that you could afford every week.

Pocket money has been discussed between DH and I before so maybe that is the,way to approach it. I love PP's gran showing the value of money. Will definitely be trying that.

I might get her one and then see if she wants to add with her own money. Glad others agree IANBU as I worry about treating her differently from her pals but at the same time, I want her to know the value of things and to appreciate what she's got.

OP posts:
Childrenofthesun · 30/08/2018 07:06

All girls of a certain age seem to live them. I think they are plastic tat and a waste of plastic, but I do occasionally buy them as a treat as they seem to make my DC very happy. You can get "L'il sisters" ones cheaper.

If your really don't want to buy them a toy for no reason ( although I personally think that's quite harsh if you can afford it occasionally), could you set up a reward system. For one of my DC I had a reward chart for sleeping in her own bed but you could have one for chores/tidying up etc?

Childrenofthesun · 30/08/2018 07:07

love them

KaosReigns · 30/08/2018 07:32

My db buys these for my niece. Horrific things, 90% packaging, dreadful for the environment and all the dolls look like toddler prostitutes. But she does love playing with them, especially the spitting, squirting and weeing.

Definitely would not want to meet the man that designed them.

WrongKindOfFace · 30/08/2018 07:37

They’re absolute shite. Loads of tiny pieces of plastic that will be lost down the back of the sofa within an hour.

Start giving her pocket money, if you don’t already, and let her save up to buy herself one. They soon become savvy when it’s their own cash they are wasting.

SweetheartNeckline · 30/08/2018 07:42

My girls have about 15 of them between them - they've been "collecting" for a year so definitely not bought them willy nilly, more a birthday present thing. We don't really go in for toys for the sake of toys but they did have one each at thr start of the holidays and one each when they got £10 from my grandad. They play with them every day... if your DD started school very recently perhaps a starting school present?

It is hard to get them less than rrp but they were in Argos's 3 for 2 offer so perhaps worth hiding a few next time that's on.

Fireworks91 · 30/08/2018 08:47

I won't buy them, DD knows this. She watches them on YouTube sometimes. If she chooses to spend her money on one then fine, likewise if a friend gives her one.

HolidayHelpPlease · 30/08/2018 08:53

What about EBay? Buying people’s doubles - just feels less wasteful to me? (Or is the fun opening them? Confused)

SparkyBlue · 30/08/2018 08:58

My DD only has one as she is just getting into them but I have no real issue with them as she much prefers smaller toys and has always loved tiny dolls so
I know she will play with them. She always loved the Disney little kingdom dolls. Now Have you seen the LOL dolls house that's out for Christmas. That's what I call overpriced tat.