To not want to get daughter a LOL ball for xmas

[Mummyof287]

DD is 5yo.We have been battling against the whole LOL phenomenon for awhile now...although it was only brief mentions of it until she started school last year, but now she keeps getting excited by seeing anything to do with it in the shops and probably hearing/seeing others with LOL merchandise/toys at school.
I am generally not a 'follower' type of parent and I will stand my ground with things like having her own ipad, sleepovers and ear piercing (personal preferance) but I'm always abit on the fence with toys and some of the tv programmes too (she does watch some cbeebies stuff such as Dog Squad and Bluey, but also likes the youtube/netflix trashy american stuff 🙈)

LOL just seems so 'grown up' and if I'm honest 'sexualised' which I know DD won't get at her age, but my parents were careful what I was exposed to and it maintained my innocence and stopped me growing up too fast, which I want for her too, although I think sometimes they went abit far and I ended up being the 'odd one out' which i DON'T want for DD.
It's such a difficult balance!

She keeps asking for an LOL ball for Xmas.DH isn't too keen on the brand concept in general either, but thinks having the ball won't cause any negative influence.I'm not keen as I would rather keep her away from the whole thing, as i worry then she will want more LOL related stuff too.Also they're so expensive for not alot!

Usually we pretty much get her what she asks for (whilst not spending crazy money) but I'm unsure what to do here...

It’s what your daughter would like though op. I get it as a parent, but let her have her own likes and interests, try not to impose your toy preference on her. Kids like to be included with their friends, it’s what bonds them in a social pack.

I think they’re odd little things and hate all the plastic that comes with them. I’d never buy them. But Santa would 😂DDs get one in their stocking and they love the novelty. Very occasionally they’ll get one with their own money and have had them as presents. They are handy for throwing in a bag if you’re going out as they’re small so good for playing with in the car, hotel etc.

To agree with a PP, the ball surprise ones are now all wrapped in paper so there's the excitement of opening all the individual packets with a bit less plastic. The doll and accessories themselves are of course still plastic.

I was on the fence about the LOL dolls, but my daughter absolutely loved them for years. Plus, we discovered we had the secret Frida Kahlo one, which prompted a great conversation! I don't think they're that bad overall.

Children (most anyway) have so little control over their lives & no ability to buy themselves things they'd like. I think as adults we need to appreciate that all they can do is ask & hope the get the things they really want. Imagine asking DH for a lovely jacket you've got your heart set on (& no means to buy yourself) for him to buy you a pair of welly boots because they're 'better value' & in his opinion 'what you need'.

or asking for paints as you've always wanted to paint, but he buys you a trowel & seeds because that's more 'worthy'.

Buy her what she wants, not what you'd prefer she played with.

It’s your responsibility as a parent to buy what you think is suitable for your child. If you don’t want to get it, don’t get it. She’ll live.

This is what I think! Although neither of my children have been into these LOL things as my Dd is older.

Son’s friend asked for one as a birthday gift and I did think it was expensive for very little but not a damaging toy or a problem as such

My DD is 13 now and still enjoys the surprise aspect of collecting these dolls. Could you go for a LOL pet instead if you really don't like the dolls?

Fine to get whatever toys you think are appropriate, but there's something unhealthy about the idea that a little girls "innocence" is something the adults around her have to guard, or that is fragile enough to be done away with by providing the wrong kind of plastic toy.

I was not a fan of lols but I did get some for my dds when younger and they played with them a lot. The games they played were very similar to how I remember playing with paper dolls when I was that age, lots of dressing up in different outfits and combinations. They didn't do anything sexualised with them, because they weren't at a developmental stages to be thinking about anything like that.

They're completely grim. We managed to sidestep the LOL dolls for LOL pets, they're still shit, but less of a Balenciaga prosti-tot style!

I have to say, I find LOL quite good actually. DD has a huge collection of the everyday ones that come in the little balls for a tenner, built up over years, and they fit really well as stocking fillers and little extra gifts from family and friends. Sometimes she saves up her pocket money and buys one. At some point someone bought her one of the big boxes as a special gift so she keeps them all in there and she gets them out and does tea parties, mixes and matches their outfits and accessories etc.

I don't think they are sexualised really. They wear sparkly outfits and carry cute bags - basically, DD's two favourite things.

I mean, sure, they're plastic tat. But as plastic at goes, they have far more longevity and interest.

It does make me sad that so many toys aimed at girls are looked down on as plastic tat or considered sexualised because they have female bodies and/or wear short skirts.

DD thinks her LOL dolls are basically a bunch of girl friends having fun together in bright shiny outfits. And she loves the excitement of unwrapping them, and working out the puzzle and seeing the accessories. I struggle to see the harm in that.

LOL are banned in my house.

I dont buy anything with the LOL brand.

We rarely get any gifts with the LOL brand. But try and get this of them ASAP.

Personally I dont think they're suitable for kids.

This is an interesting way of looking at it. Obviously children need some guidance and steering away from things, where it would be inappropriate to do so for an adult. But unless the desired thing is harmful or totally against your values, I'd be inclined to agree.

I very much agree with this post!

Thanks so much for all the replies! Just to be clear, I do buy her things I'm not keen on myself (for example she also wants a 'plastic tat' electronic dressing table for xmas which is also rather to small for her (she got handed down a similar one a while back but unfortunately we couldn't get the smoke smell out so it had to go) but she is desperate for it as it has lights/sounds and has been asking for ages, so we are getting that (rather than the better quality wooden ones which would be my preference,haha)

Also, I certainly don't think she wouldn't still have a 'magical Christmas' or I would be 'ruining our relationship' (abit extreme! 😳) if I didn't get her the LOL ball...I am anti all the modern day consumerism and materialism, and am trying to bring her up to find value and enjoyment from things that cannot be 'brought' and understand that we don't always get everything we want.I think that having a magical Christmas shouldn't just be determined by the presents, especially for a 5yo!

That said, I totally appreciate the viewpoint that I might be overthinking the LOL ball and its useful to hear the useful accounts from people who's children have LOL toys but haven't been affected negatively by them.

I can also recall desperately wanting various toys as a child that I didn't get...I don't feel resentful now about it (and it hasn't scarred me for life or anything!) But I don't want to deprive DD unnecessarily either of toys she enjoys (of which she has many)

I get £10 may not be alot to spend for some, but we can only really afford to have a £50 budget each for her and her 1yo sister this year, and the dressing table she is wanting takes up £30 already.

I think will have a look at the balls and go from there :)

She's 5 and it's just a doll. Much as I hate them, I've allowed my 5 year old to have one of the bigger dolls this year. The only people seeing 'sexualised' dolls are the adults with strange minds.

I agree with this, they are not ‘sexualised’ to my children, because they have no idea what that is. To them, they’re dolls in sparkly skirts and tops and they play schools and holidays etc with them. They’ve been played with more than any other dolls they own because they’re small and portable and they like changing their outfits.

I love LOLs
They are Sylvanian size so fit in the doll’s house and wooden castle.
They take less space than Barbies, the clothing is similar- not more or less ‘grown up’
They have outfits which can be mixed and matched
They can also be played with alongside Duplo and wooden blocks etc as they are small
My child plays schools, families, moving house, parties etc with hers
A few fit in my handbag for restaurants or wherever I need some instant entertainment
They are played with for at least an hour every day

Down side is there’s far too much packaging…but all our fruit and veg in this house comes without so it balances.

Oh god just get them.

Dd had the dolls, pets, OMG, house, car, caravan, plane etc.

Expensive but that's what she asked for for Birthdays and Christmas.

I didn’t want them or Barbies but daughter has her own money and bought one of both. Barbie didn’t last long but she’s still playing with the LOLs aged 11.

I hate them too but if that is what she wants and will play with, I don't see the big issue. To your daughter it's just a doll.

My eldest has them but doesn't really bother with them but her little sister loves them and plays with them. We've got her a few for Xmas. Picked them up cheaply £5-7 for the balls. She just plays with them the same way she wld any other doll and I don't see any that she has that are sexualised or anything.

Honestly I get where you are coming from but my youngest loves lol dolls and gets great playtime from them. She loves those and Chelsea (barbies younger sister). I think it's because they are small and easy to carry around. Her games normally involve them going swimming in the sink or off on a trip in the barbie campervan that's passed on from her older sister and occasionally they have a battle with Star Wars figures. Just let it go and don't make it a thing. But I do get where you are coming from

Personally I wouldn’t buy them, but that has more to do with their colour changing features. I don’t think children’s dolls should come with garters.

www.snopes.com/fact-check/lol-surprise-dolls-water/

Look on marketplace OP, DB and SIL must've spent hundreds if not thousands on the awful things, less than two years later and DN is not interested, despite being absolutely desperate for them and 'needing' to collect them all. SIL just sold the lot include the massive house cars and more dolls and accessories than I could count for £30