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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to be upset at barbie?

176 replies

thatcrookedsmile · 14/04/2023 15:19

My daughter has just come in crying from yet another broken barbie.

This is because companies purposely make their products inferior to their older designs in order to ensure their product breaks or doesn't last. It's called planned obsolescence and its a bloody joke! when I was a child (90s-2000s) we used to be able to pop a barbie head back on. Now we can't because they've purposely changed the design to stop that, so you have to buy a replacement.

Well they've lost themselves a customer, after After years of buying barbie for my children and for other children as they are a good, sturdy toy, I'll have to stop. Despite her dirty face this barbie is only a couple of weeks old and the 5th since the last birthday (1.5 years ago) to snap, only to be binned.

I'm really annoyed, I've sent my first angry email.

OP posts:
gwrachod · 14/04/2023 16:53

Ooh, I didn't know MN did that with links, that's new!

PollyAmour · 14/04/2023 16:53

Buy her some pretend Barbies from Poundland.

EasterIssland · 14/04/2023 16:56

I was born in 1985. Apparently I used to do that on the few barbies my parents bought me

Newmum0322 · 14/04/2023 16:56

thatcrookedsmile · 14/04/2023 15:24

Because she's actually a 6ft 4 man who eats them for breakfast....

Show quote history

😂😂

Iyjd · 14/04/2023 16:58

The barbies in our house have lasted a few years with no incidents like this and I wouldn’t call DSDs massively careful. I would maybe teach my child to respect their toys rather than blaming the company and rushing to replace them.

eyerollwiththepunches · 14/04/2023 16:59

My sisters and I used to play at "Barbie hospitals". We mutilated them in various ways, then bandaged them back up with Sellotape. Sometimes they had their legs superglued so they were paralysed for life. A couple of them died and were reincarnated as their twin sisters.

A Barbie that falls apart is good for encouraging imaginative play. Where is the fun in "playing nicely with your toys"? Or are girls just supposed to sit and make their Barbies have tea parties?

pinkySilver · 14/04/2023 16:59

This classic - the child wrecks five dolls - she knows that this happens but her mother keeps buying toys and does not stop the child's behaviour so obviously it happens again. And again. And again.

If I drove my car into a wall and the front crumpled I wouldn't keep buying new cars and continuing to drive them into walls and then writing to Ford to complain.

Whatever is she's doing she should stop. When she's older she can enjoy them in a different way.

Senorfrijoles · 14/04/2023 17:01

I seem to remember back in the 80s that my sister and I used to swap Barbie and Ken's heads😂. I with you OP the dolls used to be a bit more robust.

denim1700 · 14/04/2023 17:02

Lottie dolls are hideous, cheap and expensive.

denim1700 · 14/04/2023 17:04

*poor-quality but expensive.

Dullardmullard · 14/04/2023 17:04

pinkySilver · 14/04/2023 16:59

This classic - the child wrecks five dolls - she knows that this happens but her mother keeps buying toys and does not stop the child's behaviour so obviously it happens again. And again. And again.

If I drove my car into a wall and the front crumpled I wouldn't keep buying new cars and continuing to drive them into walls and then writing to Ford to complain.

Whatever is she's doing she should stop. When she's older she can enjoy them in a different way.

Are children not allowed to express themselves without folks thinking it’s destructive. the op hasn’t stated she does it all the time either.

plus what the hell do you mean enjoy in a different way when older???

Iyjd · 14/04/2023 17:06

Dullardmullard · 14/04/2023 17:04

Are children not allowed to express themselves without folks thinking it’s destructive. the op hasn’t stated she does it all the time either.

plus what the hell do you mean enjoy in a different way when older???

Show quote history

She’s destroying her toys, is that not destructive?

BreviloquentBastard · 14/04/2023 17:07

I've still got my Barbies from when I was a child, they were definitely built different back then. I did NOT play nice with my toys, I was a bit of a Sid from Toy Story 😂But my Barbies survived!

SunnySaturdayMorning · 14/04/2023 17:07

The issue here is your daughter. You need to teach her to look after her things and be gentle with them.

Dullardmullard · 14/04/2023 17:09

Iyjd · 14/04/2023 17:06

She’s destroying her toys, is that not destructive?

Show quote history

no I don’t to be honest it’s 5 in 1.5 years and not all hers from what I’ve read

children are not robots to sit obediently playing, they express themselves. Toys mostly can be repaired as I stated a spot of superglue would fix the dolls head.

TheOrigRights · 14/04/2023 17:10

Grin giggling away here 😂

MathsNervous · 14/04/2023 17:11

Get her a GI Joe instead. More sturdy.

NotPrettyInPink23 · 14/04/2023 17:12

We have load of barbies. The dcs can be rough with them. Especially 3 year old. Never had this happen and they are used daily by 3, 5, 9 year olds. With lots of tugging and arguing.

SpacePotato · 14/04/2023 17:16

I remember in the 90s when a head came off a doll you had to push them all the way down to the shoulders so the headless ones ended up with no neck or they'd just fall off again easily

Yeah, my DSis had a couple of no neck Barbies. She'd give them silly voices to match 😄

The 80's Barbies had a clear plastic piece similar to the new ones and if it snapped it would rattle around in the head which would no longer be secure but still usable.

Could pop Ken's head off but he was made differently due to his fat neck and his head could only twist. Barbie's head and neck gives a greater range of movement.

Needmorelego · 14/04/2023 17:16

Slightly changing the subject.... I am really really excited for the Barbie Movie in July.
All the different Barbie's with their different careers....

Original poster
thatcrookedsmile · 14/04/2023 17:17

our old dolls are fine so the issue being 'rough olay' doesn't stand. Same child, same play same brand, only instead of getting better this brand got worse and they did so on purpose to ensure they sell more dolls.

OP posts:
Kennykenkencat · 14/04/2023 17:20

The whole point was to take the heads off and stick them back on or swap them about with other toys heads

AmyDudley · 14/04/2023 17:20

All the different Barbie's with their different careers...

My favourites are Chain Smoking Barbie and Likes-a-Drink Ken.

GeraltsBathtub · 14/04/2023 17:20

I (born in the 90s) had this exact break in your picture happen to my Barbies as a child too so I don’t think it is a change in design. My dad just superglued them back on. This only happened to maybe 3 of them in my entire life though so I question what your DD is doing to break so many.

Achoojimmychoos · 14/04/2023 17:21

Presumably if this was a wide spread problem barbie will have had lots of complaints and perhaps look to rectify this. My dd loves Barbie and all of hers have lasted years. But odd that every one your dd has breaks