Tuesday, September 25

Excuse me?

I can't comment right now, and only about every third comment makes it through the filters at my work email, but I needed to respond to my anonymous commentor...
 
Would you pay $100 for a hand-held computer game for your son? Yes, it is his only handheld device, unlike four thousand dollies my daughter owns.
Then why won't you spend the same for your daughter? I would for something unique.
You never know until your daughter gets the doll exactly how much she is going to play with it (same for hand-held computer games) but many girls get a phenomenal amount of play value out of their American Girls dolls (or Maplelea Girl dolls in Canada).   My daughter is equally happy with the funny bald baby from Target and the mutant freak looking  hand me down dolly that never sleeps (One eye is stuck open)--What a phenomenal amount of play value we've gotten from those dolls that didn't set me back a hundred plus dollars.
If you calculate the cost per hour of play, for many girls these dolls can be some of the best money a parent could ever spend. Unless One-Eye, the intensive care baby, lets her play hospital and means she makes up her own stories instead of getting locked into a scripted (although historically accurate) storyline that she would follow faithfully.  
 
Furthermore, the values put forth by American Girl and Maplelea Girls is far better than what comes with a Bratz doll.
 
If you had read my blog at all you'd know that I hate Bratz and their ilk with a screaming purple passion, and that they are banned from our house.  I have no problem with the AG dolls and their values, I have an issue with their price, and the unsolicited catalog sucking my daughter in...  Luckily I also have the ability to crush her eternal hopes of receiving a hundred dollar doll at five years old, of receiving a power wheels car, EVER, of getting a puppy and a baby sister under the tree simultaneously, and still letting my kid know that she is loved.  Why do people think more money makes it better?  Having said that,  I adore Pleasant Company and plan on buying many of their books for my daughter when she is at the right age.  Again, if you'd ever read my blog before, you'd know I'm a sucker for my kids, but am on a pretty tight budget, and whine to my bloggy friends when it gets to be too much.  Anonymous comments are weak--put your name in the comment, at least.

7 comments:

Mary said...

Whooo-hoo! Go ahead sistah! I also hate it when people reply anonymously. It drives me nuts.

You'd get more respect if you said your opinion and showed the world that you really feel that way but using your name.

I totally agree with you... I don't have the money to buy my daughter something that is going to end up with marker for make up and a chopped up hair cut.

Bunny said...

Preach it Sista! I'm totally with you on all of this.

Anonymous doesn't want us to know who she is so we po' folk don't show up at her house and steal all her dollies!

crse said...

Yeah i gotta say, the whole "better than a bratz doll" pretty much sucked any force about the validity of her point. If she knew you at all, she would have realized how ridiculous a comparison that is! I agree honey. And would like to add that the doll does not teach values as much as you do and i think little O will be a fine little person wihtout them.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, didn't mean to upset anyone. I just used the Anonymous thing because it let me reply instantly rather than trying to figure out the log-in procedure. I am Karen from Canada. Also, sorry I didn't know your daughter was only 5. I wouldn't give a five year old a $100 doll either. Even American Girls and Maplelea Girls will look like your daughter's existing dolls very soon. Girls really need to be at least 8 or preferably 9 to manage the hair on them. And, I am sorry I didn't go back and read all your previous blogs--I am really glad we agree on the Bratz thing! All the best, Karen from Canada.

Anonymous said...

FWIW- My 6 yr has wanted an AG for over a year. She is a history fan. I highly encourage her pursuit of historical knowledge and if AG is a path to that then okay by me. (There history albums per charater/era are fabulous. We get them at our library.)

That said:$100 is $100 (plus outfits). So we told her if she wants one she will have to buy it herself. She has 2 piggybanks going towards that end. Every dollar she gets from the tooth fairy goes in and likewise any money from her Abuelo.

IMHO- saving your coins for something you want is a good lesson and if we get history lessons from it to boot. way cool.

ditzymoi said...

I love it when you get all grammatically correct and stuff! *hugs*

Kudo's to Anonymous for coming back and leaving a name and clarifying herself :) I think Anonymous comments are so typically nasty and rude that we automatically take offense.

Anonymous said...

My 6 year old wants the doll. And I absolutely agree she can have one as soon as she has earned the $100 worth of chores.

She wrote up the list of extra chores she is willing to do...and we negotiated the value of them. She took the trouble to decorate her money jar and is excited to earn the cash. Imagine how much more value this purchase will have for her when that package arrives.

I don't want the doll....and certainly not at $100 price tag. But I think there are lots of ways to satisfy what kids want and turn it into a teaching moment as well.

PS - I HATE BRATZ and everything that goes along with them. They are another blight on the innocence of our children - boys and girls...so so sad.

Carmen in Canada (too tired to sign in)