Do You Use Your Dolls as Replacement Children?

Heavens, no! I strongly dislike most children and none of my dolls are child characters. When I did have child characters, they were always the wise-beyond-their-years sort because I *cannot stand* kiddy-kids. Forget replacements, there were never any future dream children to replace to begin with. My dolls are cool and meaningful oversized figures of my characters/favorite characters for me to play with, nothing more, nothing less.

 

no, and i think it would be slightly creepy if you did

i sort of consider mine my photographic models/companions, and a way to portray real people when i do not have real people to photograph

 

No! Not ever... I hate children. All of my dolls are adults and I never intend to get a doll that is a child. I don't even like molds with childish features.

 

No not really. I don't have any children and I may never have any, but I don't think I'd ever come to see my dolls as my "babies."

 

Dolls will never be a replacement for a child, for me I have 2 little girls (and planning to have more in future) kids are blessing from God and my dolls is just another 'hobby' I enjoy nothing more, I look at them as beautiful made dolls and models (even if some has developed a character).

 

AMEN. I'm close to the same age, and really have to fight this. No, I don't collect dolls as replacements for children. No, I am NOT "unfulfilled" or "lacking as a woman" just because I haven't had a child and don't want one. No, I don't secretly want one. I simply don't feel that motherhood is a role I want to take on. That's it; nothing more, nothing less.

I don't hate children, but I do get irritated by people either thinking I'm in denial or I'm some sort of freak for not wanting one of my own. My doll hobby seems to make this worse, since so many people IMMEDIATELY jump to the conclusion that doll=baby. Yes, there are people that do treat dolls as replacement children. That's fine, if that works for you. But I don't want to be lumped in that category myself, since that is not why I collect BJDs. I don't collect any other kind of dolls. I even loathed dolls as a child, especially baby dolls. BJDs are a bit different to me, though. I love the look of them, the articulation, the customization, the sheer versatility of them. They are things I can admire and play with, pose and make pretty.

 

I have never really wanted children, though I think my "nephew" wore me down a little.

I like the idea of children: dressing them up and playing with them. But I don't want to care for them full time. I see a doll as a perfect outlet for those desires.

So, I guess I'm some where in the middle: my doll will be like a child to me when she arrives, but no more than most other people think of them as their children. I dunno, hard for me to judge right now.

 

Nah, when I moved in together with my fiance I really got the "nesting" over me, but I got myself a babybunny to satisfy that need. I'm 25, in the middle of my studies and with no need for children. The biological clock is ticking of course and I coo over children and small animals. I am very motherly, but my dolls ain't the bandaid on that.

Then again, this thread is probably geared more towards women/men who have passed the time they think it is still possible for them to have a child. Yet, I guess it all comes down to how we view and treat our dolls. Dressing something up and making them look nice is not enough to satisfy my "motherly" need to give warmth and protection. That has to happen to something living. I put strong sentimental values on a lot of my belongings but they'd never be able to tickle that protection need, not in me anyway.

It is interesting to see the posts of women who have chosen to be childree. Some days I wake up and think "how wonderful wouldn't it have been to stay free for the rest of my life" and other days I think I'd be crazy if I never got a child... Where does my own need for children end and the society's expectation of me to get one start? But I guess that is an entierly different can of worms saved for another place.

If I never get children of my own I can easily see myself as a crazy catwoman with a stroller down in town rummaging through dustbins, but not dolls, at any rate xD

 

I'm in the child free by choice category. I never wanted kids and most kids really annoy me,so I don't think my dolls are replacement children. If anything they're a way for me to hang on to my own childhood,only better because now I can afford nicer things than what I had when I was a kid.

 

I don't have kids, but I don't particularly want them either. BJD is kind of a "reality escape" as well as shelling my characters. I might call them my babies, but only affectionately.

 

I kind of look at them as my kids a little, but not totally. They are my characters and I did create them, but they don't need everything a child would.

 

Now that I think about it. I may use my doll as to replace children because my family expects all daughter to have children young (I'm 21 turn 22 next week). However I choose BJDs above children all the way since they are easier to handle and in a way cheaper than a child. As well as they won't over populate the world. I have lots of factors applied to why, some are straight forward and some can offend other users

 

Well I'm only 18 so I don't think kids are something I'm even going to contemplate right now!

I don't really like kids much, either.

 

I don't have a child yet.. but maybe someday I will have)
I don't think that my dolls are my children, they are friends for me, company for the talking, walking and having fun...)

 

I use my kids as an excuse to have dolls! There is nothing better than chilling in the craft room with my little budding artist. Dolls are an easy to share creative outlet for both of us. I can see why some people refer to dolls or pets as their children (I did this with my cat at one point), but now that I'm a mother I don't do this. My kids are my only kids. In my opinion, "kids" are the ones you are most responsible to take care of, that you would put ahead of yourself in any circumstance. I would die for my kids, but not for a pet or a doll. However, if there are people out there that feel that strongly about a fur baby or resin child, I fully support you! It's nice having someone who needs you. I think it's part of our genetic coding as human beings! It gives us purpose, and will to go on. Who are we to judge how others fulfill that need?

 

NOPE. I don't like children and don't want them. I'm in the process of making that 100% NOPE for life. I knew I didn't want kids since childhood. I think the combination of babysitting for 8 years and and being forced to play mom to my mother and brother when my mom sort of shut down sealed it. The slightest incompetence sends my stress rocketing through the roof. I can hardly deal with other adults, I can't imagine trying to deal with children. I'm not lacking anything that they would fill. This is also why I don't collect anything smaller than SD except for pets. I consider all my doll's characters to actually be older than me.

 

I didn't see this posted anywhere, so hopefully it hasn't been asked already. Sorry if it has!


After reading another forum post I started wondering how many in the bjd hobby have kids, plan to have kids and plan to never have kids? I'm just curious if a lot of folks (or perhaps very few?) use the dolls as a sort of surrogate children. I know many people in the hobby don't think of their dolls as their children, but it seems the whole doll hobby requires a sort of nurturing aspect (maintaing and caring for them, dressing them, providing them with props and bedrooms). Does your doll help fulfill that part of you if you don't have or want children? If you do have children, where do your dolls fit in with your children? Do you feel the same nurturing feelings for your dolls as you do for you children or is it different?


Or am I totally thinking the wrong thing? Lol. I'm just curious about where dolls fit in with people's family and the type of fulfillment some folks get from their dolls.


For me, though I don't have any dolls yet, I can already feel that I will be quite nurturing and loving to my doll--and I haven't even decided on a sculpt yet! Haha. I have been deciding on my doll's character and I am feeling very close to him and almost motherly to him. I plan to never have children, though I have a cat and dog who help to fulfill my nurturing side. I think that once I get my first doll it will also fulfill my motherly side (mostly in the dressing and character developing parts as I can't really do that with my pets, lol.)

So, what about all of you guys? Am I onto something here or am I way off? Lol. Please be kind as I'm new to this community. ^_^

 

I don't have kids, and don't want them. I've been flat out told since I was 2 years old and slamming baby dolls into the floor that I have no motherly instincts at all. haha

I may sometimes refer to 4 of my favorite dolls as my "kids", but I don't mean it in the same sense. It's true, I did create them, I have helped them grow as characters, but they're my "babies" in the way an author's book or director's movie is their "baby", not like mother/child.

 

Nope, I don't have kids and I don't plan to I don't see my dolls as surrogate children. I think the nurturing side of owning BJDs is just a byproduct of owning them... I got into BJDs because I love the way the look. But owning one means dressing them, brushing their hair, posing them... I enjoy it a lot, but that's not what got me into the hobby! I noticed I feel a lot of 'nurturing' feelings towards all sort of things... my dolls, fictional characters, my home made plushies, cute animals like my pet cat. But these things don't require anywhere near the commitment and dedication that children do. I can admire my doll and then put him on a shelf and walk away... you couldn't do that with a child! Even my cat mostly minds his own business.

Perhaps BJDs help fulfill my nurturing instinct... I don't know. I think moreso they attend to my desire to look at beautiful things. And they spur my imagination to come up with outfits and different styles. They are much more like fictional characters to me than like children.

 

I am delighted to be the mother of a beautiful 11-month-old girl. I've had dolls longer than I've had my baby, so it's an interesting topic for me to explore, I think XD

I always enjoyed my dolls and am very bonded to them (Especially my EID) but I never saw them as anything other than dolls. They never satisfied the desire to have a little one to look after, and they did not offer me any comfort when my husband and I were struggling to have children. For me, I honestly do not think that I could get the same fulfillment out of having dolls that comes with having a flesh-and-blood real child. It's just too different. The "nurturing" of a doll is, to me, really nothing more than play. There's such a world of difference between being able to put them away in their boxes or carry bags when you've primped them and when a child needs you to dress them, feed them or comfort them!

I think need is the biggest difference, really - A doll probably couldn't bring the same satisfaction because it's never going to need you. If you're busy with work or school you can put them aside and they'll wait, and that's not so with a child. Especially babies!

What I DO find rewarding, though, is helping my daughter nurture and care for my dolls! She absolutely loves them and they've actually been great for the process of teaching her to be nice to pretty things, because we don't want to hurt or break them. She's especially smitten with my EID and she loves to stroke his face and give him kisses, then cradle him in her arms for a hug. For her, I imagine the love and nurturing she puts forward toward him is very real.