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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - 7 year old too old for dolls ???????

135 replies

Someonetakemebackto91 · 06/10/2020 16:18

Hi
Aibu to think this is ridiculous or am I behind in the time’s. We have been discussing amongst friends what’s on the kids wish lists this year, they seemed take back by the fact by daughter had asked for the kindi kid dolls and furreal kangaroo ( and some other toys like hatchimal l fairy )
They said they were not buying theirs toys this year as they have grown out of them ( same year in school )
Is my child a young 7 year old ?
She has asked for a camera and watch for her birthday but she is still v much in to toys !

OP posts:
NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 06/10/2020 16:20

Of course 7 is not too old for toys Hmm wtf are these people buying their 7 year olds if not toys?!

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 06/10/2020 16:21

Op your child is a normal 7 year old. If they are pushing theirs into precocious tweenager interests ignore them.

Playdoughcaterpillar · 06/10/2020 16:22

No way. My 11yo is still into dolls and Sylvanians. Long may it last!

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 06/10/2020 16:22

Eh? My dd is 9 next month and has asked for toys.

Lucked · 06/10/2020 16:23

It is my DDs 7th birthday soon and she has asked for an Our Generation doll after reading the smyths catalogue cover to cover. She also likes the look of the hatchimals fairy. She has never shown any interest in them before so I would say she is just growing into them!

What are they going to buy their seven year olds?

I would say she plays with less toys that her brother as has always been more into craft and board games.

Madre1972 · 06/10/2020 16:23

People are in such a rush for their kids to grow up. My 12, almost 13 year old, still enjoys dolls and toys (she probably wouldn’t advertise that to her friends but in the comfort of her own home we do find her playing sometimes) 7 is definitely not too old.

mbosnz · 06/10/2020 16:25

My 11 year old asked for an American Girl doll, it was a real thing amongst the friendship group that year. (She also made a mint, selling them when we shifted - she got more than we paid for it!)

Original poster
Someonetakemebackto91 · 06/10/2020 16:25

Thank gosh I thought I was living in some alternative universe 🤣🤣🤣
My daughter still loves a smyths catalogue !

OP posts:
NeutralJanet · 06/10/2020 16:26

7 years old isn't too old. This will be the first Christmas I'm not buying my 10 year old DD any toys except Lego, she wants stuff like electronics and designer trainers now but also because she already has a ton of plastic tat like Barbie, LOLs and Shopkins and really doesn't need any more. She does still play with them sometimes but they are being overtaken in popularity by Lego and Minecraft so I don't want to add more to the pile that will inevitably end up in the charity shop in a couple of years.

Original poster
Someonetakemebackto91 · 06/10/2020 16:27

@mbosnz ha my daughter is obsessed with American girl dolls she wants me to order the ones you design but Im a bit like 250.00 for a doll is a bit steep seen as she doesn’t understand that’s all she would get 🤣

OP posts:
PhantomErik · 06/10/2020 16:28

My 11 yr old still plays with dolls, it's only now that she's started secondary that it looks likely to stop soon but I'm happy for her to continue as long as she likes!

This is the first Christmas she not sure what she'd like, usually it's lottie dolls, harry potter barbie sized dolls or lego friends.

I think it's a real shame when they grow out of toys early.

110APiccadilly · 06/10/2020 16:29

I remember I wanted a Girl Guide doll, so I must have still sometimes been playing with dolls at the top end of primary school age. Of course 7 isn't too old!

bridgetreilly · 06/10/2020 16:29

I really hate how some parents/grandparents insist on buying toys that are too old for children, then proclaiming them bored of them. Of course they are bored of toys that are too fiddly or games they don't understand. Let them enjoy things that are the right age for them and don't constantly push them on to other things.

Anyway. 7 is peak doll age, OP. Get your daughter loads and she will have much more fun (and do more learning) than any of her friends.

Dartsplayer · 06/10/2020 16:29

What? My 10 year old still like to play with dolls occasionally. I think it's sad that some people want their children to grow up too quickly

Chickenitalia · 06/10/2020 16:31

My almost 11 year old has picked out a scruff a luvs panda family as being the one thing she really really wants this year. She looked all through the Smyths catalogue and that was it. She has devices, tech etc as well but as she said, she doesn’t need another device, she has one already. She wants the panda family.
Listen to your dd, if she asks for something that’s within price and suitable then I would always go with that. They’re only kids for a short time.

VintageStitchers · 06/10/2020 16:31

Not unreasonable at all.

Have you seen the ‘Tree Change dolls‘ that come up for sale occasionally? I’m in my fifties and even I think they’re fab.

Feelingconfused2020 · 06/10/2020 16:31

My 7 year old loves her dolls. Her Christmas wishlist consists mainly of doll related things and accessories. She's almost 8 as well. Her brother is 10 and he isn't too old for toys either, in fact occasionally he will play with her with the dolls if he's in the mood!

Aquamarine1029 · 06/10/2020 16:32

My daughter would occasionally play with her various dolls when she was 13, and given she's now a very mature and capable 21 year old, it certainly didn't cause any harm! Being very sarcastic there.

7 is too old for dolls? Hmm

Original poster
Someonetakemebackto91 · 06/10/2020 16:34

Yeh I was a bit taken back the girls are in the same class
Apparently on their list is some certain YouTube merchandise ( looked at the you tubers and they were teen content )
Things like that
Now unfortunately I will admit that my daughter is a huge gamer ( she spends a lot of time in hospital cubicle so did become quite well attached to her iPad / YouTube etc ) but I try hard to keep it age related and try to restrict at home.
I just couldn’t imagine not having any toys under the tree at 7
She is getting ( lol and rainbow high dolls, Lego friends, hatchinals and then clay / art sets and some fresh board games to play together.
Birthday switch games, camera , childrens watch and some furreal toy and that new present pet toy she is desperate for and a drum kit ( send prayers haha )

OP posts:
Original poster
Someonetakemebackto91 · 06/10/2020 16:35

@VintageStitchers off I go to google tree change dolls 🤣

OP posts:
InglouriousBasterd · 06/10/2020 16:37

My 10 year old loves dolls and sylvanian familes and I love that. Childhood is short enough!

TicTac80 · 06/10/2020 16:38

Definitely not too old for dolls. My 7yr old LOVES her dolls. She has Lottie dolls. For her birthday this year, she asked for a Barbie car (I found one on eBay which came with a Barbie doll). I’m planning on giving her my (now vintage) Barbies for her next birthday and my American Girl Kirsten doll for her 9th. I hope she enjoys playing with toys and dolls for as long as possible :)

(I kept most of my dolls and toys from when I was little. I now slowly give them to my kids. It’s lovely to see them being played with and enjoyed again).

QueenofLouisiana · 06/10/2020 16:40

Those sound like great presents. Children if this age should be learning through play: language development, empathy, dealing with social situations, fine motor skills etc etc.
I usually have small world play available in my Yr6 classroom and encourage play in there (sadly not possible at the moment). My DS was still planning epic battles with toy soldiers at 13, he now uses the strategies he developed there in air-soft games. That wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste, but it demonstrates that the play leads elsewhere in future!

formerbabe · 06/10/2020 16:41

My DD is 10 and I just bought her another our generation doll. She loves them.

formerbabe · 06/10/2020 16:44

I do think it's so sad that some people think a seven year old is too old for toys...a 7 year old is still so little. Of course they should still be playing with toys...it's really important for development. It's like people are trying to make childhood even shorter Sad

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