Not buying LOL dolls for DD

[soloula]

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?

I think it'd be nice for her to have a LOL tbh. They're expensive, but far better value and quality than other cheaper collectables like popteenies, cake pop cuties or pikmi pops which are absolute tat (and some are stinky tat to boot). If you do want to buy more than one, say one for now and one or two for Christmas, if you can afford it get them together from the same box to avoid duplicates.

Huge waste of money. I refer to them as “overpriced kinder eggs without the chocolate” . The toy inside is as a tacky and useless as a kinder one, it’s so stupid and the price .

We caved and bought DD one for her birthday because she’d been nagging for months. Never again.

Yeah pocket money works well for us too. As someone else said it's amazing what they don't want if it's coming from their own money :) But if they do choose to spend some on what we'd consider tat, that's okay too!

I think £10 (or even £6) is too much for plastic collectible crap! I have said to my DD (just turned 4, been asking for about 6 months) that I won’t buy them for her, but if she wants to buy with birthday/Xmas money, she can do that. So far, she’s always picked something else, I think there’s a novelty in the “unwrapping” experience. Sometimes I buy larger play sets when they are on offer, and re-wrap them like you would for pass the parcel, which she loves. Or if there’s multipacks of say, my little pony figurines, on sale I’ll wrap them individually and keep them as a lucky dip for when she’s extra helpful, or what have you.

They're an old trend here. Don't worry. The trend will be gone by Christmas and then the next tat will come along.

Also a child of the 80's OP and I lived for my weekly fix of Garbage Pail Kids.

Oh god yeah, garbage pail kids, sistersofpercy how could I forget them??

I think I'll just see how we go. We're away for the weekend this weekend so that's the kind of occasion where I would maybe relent and get a wee toy so I might get her one there and if she wants more then maybe save up/pay from pocket money. Anyone wants to jump over to chat and comment on my pocket money thread please do as I'm equally as clueless about that as lol dolls!!

I think it's OK/ helpful to just allow your kids to keep in with social trends a bit.

Don't be the parent who buys them everything/ the whole range/ the most expensive thing/ age inappropriate stuff first.

But I think equally don't be the parent who's kid has NOTHING 'cool', has NEVER seen the cartoon/ film every pretend game is based on for weeks/ has NEVER listened the latest teenybop band etc.

I watched a couple of episodes of Love Island for exactly the same reason- just to have a small bit of social credit on the playground!

I was sceptical about them but my daughter got two from her uncle for her birthday. She LOVEs them. I have bought her one or two since and she lays with them all the time, so I consider them a good investment when her behaviour has been amazing. They are awful and tat really though. I was the same with thunder cat dolls when I was little.

I just had to look up what a LOL doll is. Mmm.
I have boys. My youngest likes those Lost kitty things in playdough. Bought a couple when on offer but what a flipping ripoff! Similar concept?

I am old. I liked dolls as a child but had Pippa dolls - including princess Pippa. That was probably nearest I got to a collection. All with long glossy hair and very girly.
Others were individual dolls like Sindy and Tiny Tears. Also loved my Holly Hobby doll.

I think getting her one as a holiday treat is a nice idea. I was born in the early 80's and remember from about age 5/6 really wanting a Sweet Secret doll/necklace collectable and my parents refusing . Was over the moon when my friend let me keep one of hers.

My DS is 5 and into squishies, I don't mind the loose viewable ones but they've bought out a new range where, similar to LOL, its pot luck what you get. I've drawn the line at buying those as I wouldn't be happy paying out and risking getting a double.

Oh absolutely buy her what she wants. Then you get the added bonus of teaching her to be a good little consumer as well as the fact that she can have what she wants when she wants it!

I buy 'crap' for DD all the time. I remember when my killjoy parents would tell me everything I wanted was 'crap' and it made me feel stupid and small for wanting it but it also made me want it even more. (I'm sure you don't do this as you sound really nice, but I think if you make a big deal out of saying no it can backfire!)

I am sure I am not the only 80's kid who collected fancy paper, pretty soaps, toptrumps and fancy rubbers. We either used our pocket money or got them as a friday treat. I hated shopkins and all those bits of feckiness that my older two loved but I still got them some for little treats or suprises so they had some and could swap with their friends and not be left out. My 4 year old ds is totally obsessed with lol dolls and he might get one doll around payday once a month and even my parents have given up trying to get him balls instead and got him one of those confetti pops ones. He played with it for weeks and would sleep with the doll in his hand. They are only young once, get her a back to school surprise treat.

You say your daughter is nearly five so presumably her birthday is coming up and then would be the time to buy them. You can find them on ebay.

There are always crazes, I remember a few from my school days and my kids. Five minute wonders sometimes but not unreasonable for a birthday.

What about a ‘one in, one out’ if you really think she has too many toys. If she wants these lol dolls (off to google) she must part with some other similar toy. Better yet if she can donate it to charity.

My sons often wanted some plastic crap or gizmo, but when faced with choosing to give up one of their action figures or similar for it they’d often change their minds.

If she wants these lol dolls (off to google) she must part with some other similar toy. Better yet if she can donate it to charity.

Do you do this with the possessions that matter to you?

Sorry to repost again, but if not urgent try Ali express! You can get a lol doll/ shopkins on there super cheaply compared to here, but obv you need to wait a while for delivery

I only had presents on birthdays and Christmas time growing up, I wouldn’t dare ask for any in-between events, as my mother was a single parent I knew we didn’t have a lot of money, just enough to keep us alive and wearing decent clothes... the important stuff lol!

I didn’t feel neglected and to be honest, I value money and am really good with my own money now, have managed to save thousands whereas friends who were spoiled growing up live payday to payday. If you can afford it (but simply don’t want to waste the money) then I agree with the chore idea, let her earn the money. Kids who are given what they want willy nilly tend to be entitled and grow up not valuing money in the real world.

Good luck with whatever you decide! (and I agree that LOL dolls are crap, once they’re opened they’re never played with)
:)

"Do you do this with the possessions that matter to you?"

You missed the part about choice, Robot. And we're talking about toys, not Grandma's
engagement ring. Learning one can't have everything and making decisions about what's really important to us is a valuable life lesson.

And yes, I do. I make choices to keep or discard many items.

I have an issue with excess plastic. We make a real effort not to but it where possible which she knows about and participates in, so she understands why we won't buy them

My dd (5) 6 in 2 weeks has been obsessed for nearly a year now, they are expensive for what they are but the kids love them. We counted the other day and she has 39 😊 and has at least 12 coming for her birthday. All the others she got for Christmas and paid for with pocket money. She knows them inside out and knows exactly which ones are missing if she does a headcount. I’d rather her have them though than squishies which are totally pointless IMO

My daughters have one each a small one they bought them with their own money when we were on holiday over the summer that was more than 6 weeks ago and they still play with them every day. I had been refusing to buy them as I thought they were rubbish, I still do but they love them and will be getting more for christmas.
I did refuse to buy shopkins and steered them away form wanting those as I think they are even more rubbish than LOLs.

My two girls, 6 and 9 love them and they are played with a lot, favourite toys and well worth the money.

DD6 not aware of LOL dolls over here. We tend to have cbbc or cbbeebies and they don't have ads, that might make a difference. DD likes Go Jetters and Octonauts still, but there's not much merchandise with those. She doesn't ask for the spin off toys but likes the magazines.