Any parents

Some people just dont know how to have fun When I use to cosplay i got tons of comments from ppl outside of it saying I was too old even though at the time most ppl who did it were my age lol (20-25)

 

Some of my acquaintances (not friends) used to make those snide remarks until my Daughter made a very nice costume for her role in a senior year Shakespeare play, and she told people that she knew how to sew from making doll clothes.

 

I've had similar experiences. I'm not that socially inclined and thus prefer eating at my desk browsing DoA and reading up on BJD-related things. I've had several co-workers insult me in regards to me loving BJD and telling me I should be very ashamed. They keep telling me it's time to grow up and take responsibility. I would love to take a tiny BJD with me to work since I often do 12-hour shifts behind a computer but I doubt it would be a good idea.

I take care of the children (5 and 9 year old) of my partner and don't rule out becoming a parent myself in the future. I however don't see how owning a BJD is related to parenthood in any way. You shouldn't care about what other people say. As long as your children come first then there is nothing to be ashamed about. If one would however neglect their children to participate in the hobby I would not be mild to them.

 

Siara, I agree with you 100%. How well you put it!

 

First of all, I don't take my dolls into public places, so I don't expose them to anyone who would be rude about it. I don't feel the need to open myself up for public abuse. My dolls are my business. I only share them with friends who can respect me and my hobby.

Siara, those co-workers sound like very shallow and petty people. Making fun of someone is the only way they can feel good about themselves. How sad for them.

I do have one friend who thinks my doll hobby is stupid. But she has no hobbies of her own, and her only interest is work. So it's her loss. She's the one who is missing out on something rewarding and enjoyable.

 

I think indeed that parenthood and dolls have nothing to do with one another. Everyone is entitled to have whatever hobby as long as nobody gets hurt in the process. Also, dolls are clearly a more appropriate activity for a parent vs sitting in a bar drinking (for instance). So don't let anyone be judgmental about it. Who are those coworkers to through stones at you? Honestly!

 

I am a parent and the best thing about being a parent is getting to play with all my kids toys! I have great fun on their rocking horse and often play with their Christmas presents after they have gone to bed on Christmas day. I have always loved dolls and I love BJDs because I can get creative with them. My girls adore them too, and now own their own BJDs, even thought they are quite young. As others have said, as long as you pay your bills, then you can spend your money on whatever the hell you like. I find other parents are quite envious of myself and my girls because they still love to hang out with me as we love everything dolly and spend our time working on BJDs or doll houses. We also all ride and I am grateful that my kids, at 10 and 13, still love to hang out with me. As for being told to grow up, it's a sad and bitter adult that cannot remember the pleasure of being a child and who doesn't allow themselves to be childish once in a while.

 

I've had a few people mention how I'm immature for collecting, but they're usually not people who know me well, I actually think figure/doll/toy collecting is on the rise, and becoming more mainstream so I'm getting less and less people making snide remarks and more people asking where I got my dolls/figures and how much they cost! I've actually gotten 4-6 different people into collecting just by showing them all the dolls I have! Super exciting!

 

Well, I actually showed two of my dolls (Loki and Thor) at work to my boss and our bookkeeping lady. They liked them a lot. Also my two male colleagues (one is heavily into action figures) were very impressed about the details and craftmanship.
And it had not the slightest to do with the fact whether I am a parent or not. Quite the opposite, I often play tea party with my YO-SD and my daughter's doll. It is quite a lot of fun.
And what other people say...I do not care. I am often lying in my garden taking pictures of my dolls. That must look funny!

 

I think sometimes my husband thinks it's a *little* silly, but he's never been anything but supportive ( especially if he doesn't have to pay for them!) my daughter loves to play with my doll too ( under supervision) and loves to watch me do faceup said on other peoples dolls. I don't think it's childish at all. As a matter of fact, I find it can be a bonding thing with my own daughter to share such items, and teach her artistic skills through them ( sewing, painting, photography).

But it you know what, even if it was a little childish, is that really so bad? I have never understood why we have to be so completely boring and straight laced just because we've reached a certain number in age. Having a source of joy and a hobby in your life is good for a persons whole well being. So poopoo to the mean people and nay Sayers. They're just cranky bc they don't have a hobby to be passionate about.

 

My girls don't get to play with any yet. We only have one MSD I bought for my hubby. But have mine being made and they will get theirs by January I hope. We are making an awesome photo story and I am getting 3 dolls that look like my kids for it. So my girls will get to have supervised play time with theirs when we get them. It is fun to have something like that to share with the family.

 

My daughter is pretty careful, but she looses interest quickly. I think bc my only doll home right now is such a poor poser, she can't really enjoy the dolls mobility fully bc she's so dang... Unposeable.

 

If people have said that it was childish to have dolls because I'm a parent, they've not had the guts to say it to my face.

I wouldn't care anyway, because they're childish to have such a narrow view of how people are "supposed" to behave.

My son is my everything, and my dolls keep me sane. XD And now that he's a proper teenager, he has a nice little collection of his own, and a stack of play dolls, and he doesn't care what anyone says either.

 

I have heard some comments about wanting such expensive dolls are silly. Yes I am 40 years old and still play with dolls. I am secure in who I am and what makes me happy. I feel bad that those people don't have that kind of security in their own lives.

 

I am a parent. My husband and I both love toys. We love going to the store and checking out all the toys with our kids. We both have action figures, statues and my dolls. My husband loves my dolls and wants one of his own. I have no family on my side any more. My mother(she didn't raise me) who I do not talk to thought it was very silly that we buy toys for ourselves. My in laws don't really say anything, they just give looks when they see our decorating choices. They do not know about my dolls yet. I think my mother in law would like them but I am still new to this hobby and I have no confidence so I have not been public about it. We do have a friend who's daughter is a mom, older than me and is into this hobby and is a face up artist. She is very public about it and seems like everyone accepts her. But I am still nervous. I am afraid if people react negatively about it I will want to quit and I do not want that.

 

I'm 42 with two kids, and recently got into the hobby about 2 years ago. I tend to keep it hidden (shamefully) because I got tired of the blank stares from folks. Most immediately assume I have a room full of creepy porcelain dolls that your grandmother or great grandmother might have had. And then I explain to them what they are, and how I can customize them, paint their faces, pose them, etc. They nod and say "oh ok, that's cool" but I can see it in their eyes. ALERT: she's gone off the deep end!

Now on the other spectrum, all my artsy friends are genuinely interested.

My 10-year-old son? He thinks they are all UGLY. At least that lets me know the hormones haven't started kicking in yet.

 

Goodness, some of the best sharing fun that I have with my daughter is playing with BJDs! She's a very responsible kid, so I bought her a tiny when she was only nine...and have bought between one and two new dolls a year for each of us since then. We love pulling out our resin together, fussing with them, dressing them, posing them and photographing them (although we're both sucky photographers, lol). On the rare occasions that we've taken them out into the world, more people seemed curious and fascinated than judgmental...but if anyone ever told me that I'm 'too old for dolls', I'd just laugh. It takes a lot of gall to condemn someone else's hobby, when you probably have one of your own that wouldn't interest them in the least!