Is it "wrong" to let younger kids have BJDs?

I still don't like barbies that much... not violent towards them anymore though... I doubt she would though, she has a daughter that collects them now. Oh well, It's in the past and not particularly upsetting to me anymore. (I was fairly young at the time).

It's more or less a case of I didn't like them, so I didn't look after them. But because I didn't respect my belongings, I wasn't trusted with delicate things. >__> If that makes any sense.

On Topic!

No, I don't see anywhere in any of the companies info that doing face up/making clothes is a prerequisite... why else would most give the option of getting the doll with face up and sell clothes?

 

I really started getting into dolls, mainly cloth doll making and polymer clay dolls, when I was about 16 (a good ten years ago!). I don't think I could have fully appreciated a BJD when I was younger than that - damn I wish I'd had one ten years ago though!! I had some old fashioned porcelain dolls when I was 10-ish, but I mainly just liked looking at their pretty clothes and I didn't play with them at all

That said, I see nothing wrong with younger children having them if parents can afford it - I could see them being wonderful for encouraging creativity and imagination

 

Maybe its cause I was raised in poverty and what little i got was precious to me so i took very good care of it but My answer would be "Heck no" because I see little teens walking around with their cells and nice cars that mommy and daddy buy for them which they expect cause mommy and daddy buy them everything their heart desires.... Like one family near us that has 2 360s and 2 PS3 cause their teen boys wont share. (insert face palm and groan here)

If you want it you work hard and earn every cent. I would never buy my child anything that isnt easily replaced cause kids dont know the value of things, tend to be a destructive little bunch and don't treat things with alot of care.

Fact is most kids are spoiled with entitlement issues... I know its not true for all kids and teens but I have certainly seen it in a vast majority. Even in my finances young son who is only 5 he sees a toy and says "Buy it for me Daddy" no please or anything.... I dont know thats my outlook on it at least

 

I agree completely. I am 15 and I have 4 dolls(2 smaller) for my bigger dolls, This was from my money. I used money from my bank account for my boy only because he was on the second hand market and it would have taken me a long time to save and i was worried he would bought. However for my big girl I tidied the garage(2 floors) and worked for ages with my mum and she gave me some scrap metal I could sell ^^ my others were presents but they were small not very expensive. I wouldn't ask for big dolls for presents, i would like one but that wouldn't feel right. I feel like I've earned the doll more if I have worked for them.

 

I think it depends on the child. My daughter who is 9, has 5 BJDs. 2 Goodreaus, that she has had for 2 years, 2 pipos, and a Pukipuki Sugar. She takes very good care of them , and does not let any of her friends touch them, except for her older cousin who is 13 and has her own BJDs. She worked around the house to pay for half of her Pipos Bao, and is really proud that she earned that money. So as a Christmas present I let her pick out any doll from the wonderful Custom house sale, and now she is getting her first SD sized doll and is very excited about it, of course, it did not hurt that I wanted one too, so it was a good excuse, LOL. Now, we just have that looong Custom House wait...

 

I can't see why it would be wrong, if the kid is taught to handle dolls with care and respect. :'D

 

Well, I think that it doesn't depend to the owner's age, it depend to owner's mental age! xD
Because there are childen (like 9-14) who love them and they will take care of them as their own child, but there are adults who buy one just because there are a craze those days in the "otaku" world........

 

If I had a kid I would consider buying them a bjd..... but I'd probably lock it in a glass display cabinet xD

 

OH..I think if they get it by saving their pocket money, it is alright.
It is a great challenge about how their desire for dolls.

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I would consider how they get it rather than how they play it.
If they get it hard, they would treasure and take great care of it.
Even, if they don't care the dolls any more, the money was paid by themselves, which didn't waste me much.
And I would own and save the doll if they don't want it or treat it bad.

 

I'd say it takes maturity more than age. Just today I've seen a adult simply grab at a doll without asking.

 

A relatively-cheap Bobobie doll would be a good way to teach children responsibility!

Something beautiful and fun to play with, yet fragile and expensive.

But as OddShopkeeper said...maturity plays more of a role. Maturity, manners, common sense...not all of these do people have anymore...

 

I myself am fifteen years old and I've bought my first doll. Ringdoll-Lily. I feel I'm responsible and mature enough and so did my parents. In fact I'm rather over protective, I keep her face covered with with the plastic face thingy (I forget the name for it) at all times and I'm considering putting her in a dresser drawer to keep her safe from dust.


As long as the child understands these are not to be treated as normal toys then they can have one. I don't see a problem with it.

 

my parents have made me a custom porcelain doll of myself when i was... 7 i think because they don't believe in buying plastic "baby born" dolls. i used to play with it for a long time and i remember that i always took better care of it than of my other dolls because i was made to understand that it was special and so much money and effort by the artist went into it. i still own that doll and it's still in the same condition as i got it 20 years ago. i suppose it's the same thing with BJDs - if your kid knows how to handle it with care, it's no problem.

 

My sister gave my 6 1/2 yo daughter a miniriz for christmas. I'm not sure if it was a good idea or not. She is very careful with it and considers it different than her magic attic dolls and my Twinn doll - It is a collection doll. We had collection dolls growing up and learned that they were treated differently than our Barbies - we played with them but more carefully.
Early on (age 2) my mother taught her that there were things that were "pretties" that were treated gently - so instead of saying don't touch she could touch carefully - initially with one finger. She has been able to drink and play with antique china cups, antique china doll and italian glass eggs and there has never been any breakage.
I think it really depends on the child. She is interested in the ball jointed dolls because both her mother and her aunt have them.

 

Depends on the kid really, most of the kids I know are brats and I wouldn't trust them with a rock let alone a $200 BJD, but as there a cheaper and more durable dolls (ick Barbie ick) out there I'd give em one of thoese and avoid the stress and worry

 

I think it would be adorable for a child to have a bjd, it would be a unique toy that's for sure! I think if I lost the love for a particular doll I wouldnt mind my child having it to play with! But at the same time, even though I love the idea, I freak when any non-bjd-lovers touch my dolls, so a childs grubby hands coming towards a bjd would probably give me a heart-attack!

 

I won't let some adults play with my dolls, but over the summer I happily let an eight year old girl and a ten year old boy change their wigs and shoes with me. All I had to say was "this doll cost more than your brother's truck" (it was a very cheap truck) and they knew to be careful.

That said, my roommate's boyfriend just no. It was horrible, drunk people wanting to poke at my babies.

At least if a child broke my doll it would be an accident and they would feel guilty. A drunk person would just laugh.

That got a little off-topic at the end. The point is that I agree with most of the posters, that age is just a number and it will only be by a case by case basis.

That said, there are certain dolls and 'special' option parts that should not be given to children under 16. I'd also keep dolls small enough to be swallowed away from any children (or pets!).

 

I think it really depends on the individual child and how mature they are. I bought my daugher (at 11 yrs old) an Elfdoll Alice that she treasures and cares for really well. Of course she has grown up in a household of antiques and collectibles, and knows to be careful.

 

I've been putting this to consideration with my five-year-old son, on the account of how he treats my DOI Luke. He always asks if he can "pet him," and if I say yes, goes and washes his hands without prompting before doing so. While I'm not comfortable with letting him carry Raz around (after all, he's half his size!), I'd be okay with him carrying around a smaller doll without fear.

However, right now, he hasn't shown any interest is owning one of his own, so it's not too big of a deal. That may change once we get my husband's though. I'll just have to wait and see.

 

I agree with the rest of these replies pretty much- totally depends on the kid, and your first concern being whether they'll appreciate something fragile and expensive, or just want a doll to play with.

My grandmother got my sister and I porcelain dolls as children, even though my mum was like 'nonono' for ages...
I shudder to think about that now, one of the first things we did was mess up their beautiful hair by 'styling' it into braids and ponytails. *facepalm*