What do you think of a 9.4 year old who still likes playing with dolls/princess role play etc

[emkana]

Dd1 still likes those things. I fully support her in that, but today we gave her friend a lift home and she was saying how babyish and silly etc to still like princesses.

I told dd that she had years in which to grow up but only this time to be a child, and to enjoy it.

I can trump that. I have a boy who's nearly ten and still plays make believe with his Teddies. I think its great, although might be worrying if he's still doing it at 14

I love it. She sounds fab. Hate the way some children grow up too quickly and how society encourages it. Hope my dd is still like yours in a years time.

I think it is wonderful and to be encouraged.

My ds will be 10 in December. He still makes up all sorts of stuff with his Playmobil, and loves dressing up as a fireman. And loves his teddy to bits. Nothing wrong with it, he is still a child IMO.

Fantastic.

My super tough, footballling ds still loves to play pretend. He's often a tiger called Felix.

My lad likes pretending to be a guinea pig too when they play "Pet shops".

Aah. I'll mourn these days, what do they do when they stop the pretend stuff? Sit clued to the computer or lock themselves in their bedrooms listening to Jam records I suppose (at least thats what my brother did)

My sassy, streetwise 11yo neice loves nothing better than playing 'house' with my 3yo and her dollys. I love it

I sit for a 9 year old who still has personalities for his soft toys, but only at bed time. He is still quite childlike, but I think he will stop in the next year or so. Starting secondary school is probably the clincher for most

Good on her. She's got years to grow up in. I'm pretty certain I was doing the same at that age.

Oooh, my 9 yr old stil has personalities for his soft toys (and many of his Playmobil people). Tonight we had to go round saying goodnight to all the soft toys in his room, using all the correct voices for the responses

My DD is nearly 10 and still tucks her soft toys into their own beds at night. For christmas she has asked for a male doll so her barbies can get married as she's fed up with them having to marry teddies

I had a friend and we played for hours with our barbies till we were 13-14 y old. (we did hide it from other firends though)

Iagree with this. My 9yr old boy takes his teddy of the day to bed. They grow up so quickly. Let,s enjoy!! he also takes his DSI excel !!!!!

I think it is fine. My DD was still playing Polly Pockets at 12 and DS is still into Lego at 14! I love it too - I love hearing them chuntering in their make believe lands away from the cut and thrust of the real world.

Hooray for her. My ds still loves Thomas and he's 7 - let them like what they like without pressure. They'll get enough of that soon enough..

For me it shows a child with a fab imagination - encourage! They may end up being a fantastic inventor or super creative person.

I have a 9 yr old ds who plays imaginative games constantly. He's either a ninja, or a marvel super hero, or Harry Potter. And his bed is still covered in soft toys.. I love it... He's definitely a creative person.
Keep encouraging it emkana... imo the language skills of dc who role play, are much better than those who don't.

I bet the other friend still does this too.

I think its very sad children grow up so quickly in one way (playing with toys, and wear clothes that prematurely age them) and are kept as infants in others (not allowed to walk to school or play outside alone)

My dd is also 9.4, she likes to watch some more teenage type programmes, ie saddle club etc, but she loves sylvanian and anything in my pocket....baby in my pocket at the mo! She can't use a games console but is starting to use google a bit as they teach it at school.She has a very precise love of clothes tho, no logo or glitter at all, so hard to shop for as she wants boden/zara not george, but in many other ways she is very young for her age.

I am really glad you posted this. I was upset at the weekend when dd (8)'s friend was also saying they were too old play with dolls, and bit sneery. I had found all my "vintage" Sindy dolls and clothes and thought would amuse them on a horrid wet day. DD loved, she also loves fashion and stuff, but dolls and role play too. Hurray for the imaginative children!

Not a problem in the slightest for me.

DD1 is nearly 12 and still enjoys playing with her Barbie dolls, Polly/Jungle/Kitten/Puppy in my Pocket things. She also has quite a few soft toys and won't go to bed without her 2 favourites, a frog and a monkey.

She does also like listening to music, hanging out in her room with her friends, going out on her bike and reading the books from the 11 up section in the library so I don't think I'm suppressing her development. However I'd much rather she was playing with dolls than in the local park swigging cider

My DD1 will be 10 next Feb. She plays long, detailed make-up games of Sylvanians, schools and childminders . She's bright as a button, doing well at school, quite streetwise and charming. :o

Don't worry, Em!

DD1's friend told her recently that she (DD1) was a baby as she still has a special teddy who goes to bed with her and is her very favourite. They're 6.

My mum (generally a kind, thoughtful person) suggested I tell DD1 to reply that yes, she loves cuddling her teddy while she curls up on her bed with a good book (friend really struggles with reading, while DD1 is a complete bookworm and has an advanced reading age). She wasn't serious, of course.

I actually suggested that DD1 should ignore the comments (if they came up again) or say that lots of people still have special toys for bedtime (like her 12-yo cousin) and the only reason Mummy doesn't have a teddy bear is that Daddy takes up all the room!