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

I am so glad it worked out well for you and your daughter. I must admit I would be a bit worried about it. Children never cease to amaze me. It has been a good lesson for her...well done MOM

 

My daughter is 10 and has been whining about how I have all the good stuff. (I do) Her dolls don't stand or have changeable eyes and hair. So I got a doll free from cherish doll during an event and I really didn't like it at all. I gave it to her thinking if she broke it or lost it I would know if she wasn't ready, and it was free. She has taken good care of it so far. It even sleeps every night with a blanket in its own little bed. so if she continues to she will probably get a yo-sd size next time she gets a gift. She loves the ugly little thing and she doesn't like some of my elves because of their ears. She already knows what she likes and it isn't always what I like. That works out well as far as I am concerned.

 

I don't think it's wrong but I do think that any person thinking of giving a BJD to a younger child should give a great deal of thought to the decision.

 

I would trust both of my elementary-school age sisters with my currently-only doll, an SD, any day. They are always, always gentle with him and know that when they are holding him, they are holding over two hundred dollars. They know these dolls are not for casual play (ie. bathtub/"pool party" barbies, makeup practice or other such little-kid uses of dolls. X.x) One of them is mildly autistic, yet she has no problem understanding that she needs to be responsible with and respectful of Lewis and my friends' bjds. She will - after asking permission - simply carry Lew around the house as she lets her mind wander or does homework or whatever. She also reads stories to him a lot. My other sis does that as well - they just love Lewis.

That being said, I see nothing wrong with these two getting BJDs...and neither does my mom, which is why she has allowed them to order their first real BJDs, Felixdoll Brownies, with their own money. I ordered one as my first tiny a few days before, and the girls saw them online and decided to ask mom if they could order one each, too. So they did and they now have their own tinies on the way! (Gah, three new BJDs coming into my house at once...tinies are taking over! x.X) Time will tell if they will stay responsible with them, but somehow I doubt there will be any issues. So yeah, basically I back up those who said "it depends on the child."

 

I think a BJD can teach a kid responsibility.

Just by reading some posts here and from my personal opinion, if a kid is mature enough not to destroy their toys, I'd say "Go ahead!"

Having a designated place to put it elsewhere from other toys, and letting them have responsibility over such a special toy can really mean something. I'm not an adult yet, but if I was an elementary school kid again, I know I'd feel really importiant if I had such a pretty thing to call mine.

Honestly though, I wouldn't give a child a 600 dollar resin baby to coddle out of my pocket. Maybe it's a good way to teach kids how to save for what they want too? x3

 

If the kid is determent enough to save up the hundreds of dollars they cost, I think it would be responsible enough to actually have the doll. Dolls are expensive stuff, and I wouldn't give other very valuable things to children I know doesn't can take care of it.

 

I have to say, it is all on how you allow your child to relate to dolls. For example if youy forbid too much or say NO, then curiosity always gets the better of them and BOOM! The first thing i did when my daughter started to get curious was: show her the dolls, allow her to pat them gently and every night she asks to kiss them goodnight and put them to bed in their "cot" As i said in an arlier post, it does depend on the child, but the younger they are, the more they follow your example and the more they respect things that are not theirs.

 

You have a good valid point but I consider the age where you can have a BJD is the age where you are mature and take great care of your possessions and know the meaning of responsibility. You know kids mature for their age I'd say lowest age of 10. Thats just my opinion.

 

My husband asked me a similar question this year. We were debating on what to get my daughter for Christmas. She absolutely fell in love with Island Dolls Amy 2 and has begged for her even to the point of passing up other items that may be more fun for her. I decided that it was a good idea to let her have the doll as the price is very reasonable. Hubby asked me how I would handle her destroying a $300 doll and I replied to him that I would handle it the same way as I would handle her destroying a $300 game system, computer, or tv (all of which were items that he wanted to get her). My concern is not for the doll itself but for the wig. She has a bad track record of damaging wigs.

Our arrangement though is that as far as her friends are concerned the doll belongs to me because her friends have taken other expensive LE dolls that she has been given and snapping them in two out of jealousy.

I suppose I should also mention that my daughter has been on the honor role every year since she started school. (the grade schools here have honor role not only for grades but for grades and behavior combined so while she can't pay for the doll, she has earned it with her grades and behavior)

 

I wouldn't say 'wrong' but it's obviously a risk.
I always saw BJD as a collectable item, and not a toy. Since it demand much more attention and resource $$$.
And even tough you teach the kid the responsability of having a BDJ, in the kids eyes, it will still be a toy. A toy which you have to be very careful with.

I don't have kids yet, but I believe that I wouldn't buy a BJD for them just yet. I would let them play a lot with no regrets with anything else and after a certain age, when(if) they get interested and realize that they aren't toys...then MAYBE I would buy one for them.

 

It is risky, but really depends on the kid. My mum got me an expensive artist doll, when I was about 8 years old and I treated the doll almost as careful as I treat my bjd's now.

But I guess it's safer to buy a less espensive doll first, like Pullip and see how the kid treats it and maybe then decide if it's worth the risk of buying a more expensive, easily breakable doll.

 

yes i agree, but it also depends on how early you teach them to be responsible. They are copy cats when they are very young,and if you set good example, they learn to respect. I agree that kids have different personalities, etc. But i do notice my daughter being intrigued by the dolls ^^, so the best thing to do is to allow her a limited contact, see the clothes, and touch them lightly

 

Some children are nightmares even if their parents have the best intentions and some children are wonderfully behaved even if their parents are not. I think nurture does have a lot to do with it, but ultimately a child's own nature plays a part as well. Not all children can be taught to be responsible from an early age, some only learn responsibility when they are much older.

 

oh yes, i agree! i think i have been lucky on how behaved my human doll is, ultimately is up to t family whether to decide their child is old enough and mature to handle a doll. If my daughter is interested when she is , say 7 and i see that she is careful, then i might consider buying her a tiny. But of course, having had the exposure and knowing a little of how to look after dollies, will help her in t long run ^^

 

It wasn't a criticism, I hope you didn't see too much into it

I think exposure to delicate objects does help children see the difference between, say, everyday toys and special occasion ones, but not all children can be taught to be gentle when they're very young

 

I got my bjd at 12 and i love them i think it works any age bc you can always share with ur brother or sisster bc it helps!!!!

 

I was very careful with my dolls as a boy and never broke any at all. However, I see BJDs more as dolls for adults. I agree that it is up to the parents to decide what toys their children will have. I don't have a problem with a child owning a BJD, but I would be upset to see a child destroying one because he/she is just being a child.~Gus

 

I've always been careful with my stuff (barbies, beanie babies, porcelain dolls, etc). On the other hand, I have cousins who always destroy their stuff, and sometimes objects that other people own. So I guess it depends on the person. If my future child will be as careful as I was/am, then I would let him/her have one if I truly felt he/she could handle it. I also wouldn't want it to have any seriously detailed "bits", but that's if they were, say, younger than 10. That's just my personal feeling, though.

 

it really depend on the child and how well they take care of they're things. i've seen a kid who was about 8ish at a bjd meet with one of her own. when she got too rough with it her mom just give her the stink eye and told her she would take it away if she wasn't more careful with it. and the little girl listined right away.

now personally i wouldn't of gave my little sister a bjd at that age just because shes a little rougher with her things and is forgetful. but i buying her a puki this year for christmas and am completly sure she can handle it (she's 12 now). it really just depends on the child.

now as for the kids seeing the nipples and whatnot i don't really have a problem with it unless it super super detailed (and im talking nearly photographly detailed) and the penis is in a um, certain situtation. ...

 

I don't think that it is wrong for the younger ones to own a bjd/bjds. If he/she wants to have one, the family can afford one and that he/she will take good care of it, why not? Though I think it would be better to buy them the less costly ones and he/she is interested and has really taken good care of it then that's the time to buy the more expensive ones. Though I know some youngsters who likes something coz they thought it's cool then the next month or so they like another thing. As many have said, it depends on the child. :3 nom nom nom