I have fallen in love.
Her name is Chloe or Cathy or Claude or Gina. She is 33 cm tall. She has a lot of friends who are like her; good at shopping, fond of gossip, into fashion in a soft, non-threatening way and above all good at acting her age (5+)
She doesn't wear cropped tops covered with spangles that show off her midriff and chest, she doesn't wear lycra so tight that you can see every crease in her bottom. She doesn't have her hair dyed or wear pierced ears or pile make up onto her face so that her eyes are half shut in a state of weariness because she is *sigh* so bored.
She has a wardrobe that will take her from the playground to the schoolroom to the family party or church on a Sunday. She has a raincoat, a warm jacket, a ballet outfit and a pretty dress and cardigan. She doesn't have a pregnant friend or a boyfriend or an incessant desire to be an imaginary princess. She is happy in herself... bien dans sa peur, again.
Is this possibly because she is French?
Mon Dieu! Even their dolls have more style than ours!
And the point of this post; Why do we give our pre-teen daughters over-sexualised dolls, heavily made-up and sporting outfits that would not disgrace a streetwalker when we really want them to stay young as long as possible and to enjoy what is fast becoming an incredibly short childhood? I hate Bratz dolls, I dread the day that the Princess asks for one of their twisted and bored faces to enter this house. I put up with Barbie within limits because, until now, I have only found either baby dolls or Barbies available in the shops. Is this because they're all that's available or all we ask for? And why can the rest of Europe manage to have proper little girl dolls when we rush from baby to Barbie in a circle of life that ignores the time that children need to just be children? I very rarely find a 'child' doll that I can dress to look like the Princess, just in jeans and a t-shirt or a pretty dress. I hate having to cast her as an adult... which is what we do with just the choice of being a baby's Mummy or being a teenage friend to Barbie. Can't she just be her age?
These dolls are made by Corolle. They are available in France, for those who travel abroad, but there are sources in this country where you can get them. Prices vary, so it's worth shopping around, but the dolls are about £30 to £40 and the clothes somewhere between £13 to £17.
My dream for Santa to bring is a pair of dolls (Santa's relations went to France this June!) with a little suitcase for each doll, with a little teddy bear each, a nightdress or PJ's, a couple of tops, trousers, skirts (hey! what do you know they match the Princess' new winter skirt & pinafore perfectly!) a poncho, bags, ballet and sports kit, the whole kit & caboodle. Santa's little elves are going to be very busy... and Santa will need to keep getting Marie Claire Idees just for the instructions for the dolls clothes.
Her name is Chloe or Cathy or Claude or Gina. She is 33 cm tall. She has a lot of friends who are like her; good at shopping, fond of gossip, into fashion in a soft, non-threatening way and above all good at acting her age (5+)
She doesn't wear cropped tops covered with spangles that show off her midriff and chest, she doesn't wear lycra so tight that you can see every crease in her bottom. She doesn't have her hair dyed or wear pierced ears or pile make up onto her face so that her eyes are half shut in a state of weariness because she is *sigh* so bored.
She has a wardrobe that will take her from the playground to the schoolroom to the family party or church on a Sunday. She has a raincoat, a warm jacket, a ballet outfit and a pretty dress and cardigan. She doesn't have a pregnant friend or a boyfriend or an incessant desire to be an imaginary princess. She is happy in herself... bien dans sa peur, again.
Is this possibly because she is French?
Mon Dieu! Even their dolls have more style than ours!
And the point of this post; Why do we give our pre-teen daughters over-sexualised dolls, heavily made-up and sporting outfits that would not disgrace a streetwalker when we really want them to stay young as long as possible and to enjoy what is fast becoming an incredibly short childhood? I hate Bratz dolls, I dread the day that the Princess asks for one of their twisted and bored faces to enter this house. I put up with Barbie within limits because, until now, I have only found either baby dolls or Barbies available in the shops. Is this because they're all that's available or all we ask for? And why can the rest of Europe manage to have proper little girl dolls when we rush from baby to Barbie in a circle of life that ignores the time that children need to just be children? I very rarely find a 'child' doll that I can dress to look like the Princess, just in jeans and a t-shirt or a pretty dress. I hate having to cast her as an adult... which is what we do with just the choice of being a baby's Mummy or being a teenage friend to Barbie. Can't she just be her age?
These dolls are made by Corolle. They are available in France, for those who travel abroad, but there are sources in this country where you can get them. Prices vary, so it's worth shopping around, but the dolls are about £30 to £40 and the clothes somewhere between £13 to £17.
My dream for Santa to bring is a pair of dolls (Santa's relations went to France this June!) with a little suitcase for each doll, with a little teddy bear each, a nightdress or PJ's, a couple of tops, trousers, skirts (hey! what do you know they match the Princess' new winter skirt & pinafore perfectly!) a poncho, bags, ballet and sports kit, the whole kit & caboodle. Santa's little elves are going to be very busy... and Santa will need to keep getting Marie Claire Idees just for the instructions for the dolls clothes.
I agree with you - Bratz are vile, but have given in and my 8 year old has a few of them. On the plus side they are generally naked which I think is less annoying than the ridiculous clothes they came with, they are also missing their feet (as they snap on and off) so all in all their power to pee me off is reduced. I'm hoping that if I don't say too much about them they'll be a passing phase.
ReplyDeletehello!! only me!!! You have no need to apologise to anyone, mum was only kidding bless you, she's sorry if she upset you!!! My bessie Lou tells me off all of the time for my spoken grammar I don't hold it against her either... to be fair I critisize the way she organises her books... occupational hazard and all that!!!
ReplyDeleteTis me Sorry about the spelling and WI Was only joking honest Mary
ReplyDeleteThis struck a chord with me. My elder daughter is just finishing her first year at school and has been introduced to the delights of "Barbie Girl" by some of the others in her class. I cringe every time she starts to sing it, and my smaller one - who isn't even 3 yet - is starting to copy her. Is it harmless? I'm not so sure. They still love their baby dolls and anything fairy or princess related but how long will that last? Bah.
ReplyDeleteThose little girl dolls are beautiful though.
I'm right with you on this one Jo. Luckily, Miss Lucy is not a fan of the over sexualised doll either - she was recently given a Bratz doll on her birthday - I think it's still in it's wrapping! I want my children to remain children for as long as is right and proper!
ReplyDeleteThose dolls are gorgeous - and they have a ballet outfit - yay!
Hear hear, thank goodness Bratz dolls weren't around when my daughter was of an age to want them...mind you I wouldn't have given in I think they're vile...I remember in my day having Tiny Tears, Teeny Tiny Tears, and Janet. I just wanted to be their Mummy.I progressed to Sindy but Barbie never quite grabbed me in the same way, she didn't have a pretty face lke Sindy :)
ReplyDeleteMy Mum used to sew and knit clothes for Sindy...her heart must have sunk when I asked her to make more, it must have been so fiddly to do! But cheap..... the Sindy clothes were out of our price range and just something to admire in the toyshop.
Stick to your guns, you can say no and not give in to the hype surrounding Bratz.
I am fond of the American Girl dolls. A few years ago my husband bought me this one:
ReplyDeletehttp://store.americangirl.com/agshop/static/kitdoll.jsf/title/Kit/saleGroupId/0/uniqueId/59/nodeId/11/webMenuId/5/LeftMenu/TRUE
I am so excited for the day that Matilda wants her own American Girl doll and we can play together!
Oh what little princess wouldn't be thrilled to receive one of those elegant little darlings at Christmas. I totally share your enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteBratz are quite awful, I know.
Victoria x
Love these dolls and completly despair at parents who dress their children like minature hookers.
ReplyDeleteLet little girls be little girls for as long as poss I say.
Eldest daughter spurned Barbie and Bratz weren't around (or I didn't see them)
ReplyDeleteYoungest daughter has appalling taste and loves Bratz - fortunately the dog eats them and the rule if if it gets left on the floor and therefore chewed it goes in the bin (this rule somehow doesn't apply to toys I approve of).
I used to have a Sindy whom I loved - she had a great wardrobe of hand knitted clothes (including dungarees).
Old barbies actually look quite acceptable in an odd way - there is a lovely photo of a Barbie tea party in Caroline Zoob's book about making things for children.
The doll in your photo is lovely - a bit like the very expensive Sascha dolla I coveted as a child.
J
Yes, you are right. I don't have daughters, but my stepdaughter probably has several Barbies and Bratz. I had a Barbie when I was a kid. They were better quality that time (talking about material) I loved to change her clothes and brush her hair. It was a fun doll. I was 10 years old though. I also hate this pink everything for girls. It's like pink is the only color allowed for girls and it terrible. I would not like to have a daughter following these celebrities path. Paris Hilton and whatever..ewwww!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry i just had to comment, I was wondering if excitement had reached the level in your house that it has in mine.... only 1 more week to go..... Steve and I are going to watch the film this week too!!!!! Its gonna be Harry overload for me!!!
ReplyDeleteWe really like these dolls.
ReplyDeleteHey! Just catching up with everyone. Love those dolls, totally agree, keep little girls little for as long as poss, they're just far too quick to grow up and get "attitude" these days!
ReplyDeleteL x
What a super post. From somebody who does not have children yet I already know that I will try to encourage them to grow up at a pace that matches the development of their brain not what the latest craze tells us.
ReplyDeleteCherry Menlove xx
Thankyou for popping over with a welcome comment. We have been overwhelmed with the friendliness of this blogging world and have left a post by way of a thankyou over on the blog.
ReplyDelete