Mothering instinct?

I have always been a nurturer. As a child, I loved dolls, especially dressing and undressing them, and as a teen I went on to pets and stuffed animals. My career for decades was as a social worker dealing primarily with foster children and their families, and I liked the work although I hated the office type stuff. I've collected teddy bears and came back to dolls a couple of years ago when I discovered BJDs. Although I initially collected mature and immature girls, I'm finding that the older girls don't float my boat. I like the little girls and will continue to collect immature girls although my head can be turned occasionally by a gorgeous adult.

 

Never wanted or had kids of my own, hated and refused to babysit, avoid with determination ANY human under the age of at least 18, and highly dislike the smell of human babies and small sticky children.

Cats and other furries I love!

Mothering instinct? Good Lord NO!!

 

It may be interesting to do a comparison of the dolls men buy vs. the dolls women buy (although I realise there will be more female collectors). If women are more drawn toward cute, childlike, more 'helpless' looking dolls (and if these dolls are not mutilated or gory) and have a preference for them over older (especially man-like) dolls, then I think that would be at least one piece of evidence to support the theory that many female collectors may be influenced by a 'mothering'-type instinct.

 

I personally think you are straining for evidence here. The premise that IF women are drawn to cutsey dolls is an assumption not a fact. To assume that just because one is female that one has a mothering instinct is to rule out the individual's choice in the matter. I would be insulted to the max if someone equated my love of my decidely nonhuman dolls and my pets as nothing more than a mothering instinct. That would mean I as an individual am only the sum of my genetics. And with that I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Eh, I've always had a pretty heavy maternal instinct with people and both my best friends and boyfriend agree that I'll eventually make a lovely mother. And honestly, it's one of my goals in life. That being said, I don't think a lot of that transfers onto bjds. I'll take really good care of my girl solely because while I rarely get emotionally attached to inanimate objects, when I do, it's something I'll never let go of. I've slept with a big stuffed cat for a solid ten years now & still keep my favorite American Girls. But I don't think there's anything maternal about it.

 

This doesn't really hold true for me. I'm a female in my early 20s, and I prefer mature SD-sized dolls. In fact, the tinies are my least favorite. I actually love male dolls. I only have one female, and the other 7 dolls I own are male. To me, these dolls are just my hobby. They are collectible objects that I love, but I have never felt a mothering instinct towards them.

 

Female, mid-twenties. Currently in a serious relationship with plans to never, ever, ever have kids. I hate kids. Sure I can find them cute as times, but in general I can not stand being around them or having to entertain them.

Needless to say, I do not really have a mothering instinct, have never really had one, nor do I ever want to discover that I have one. As a result, I do not have a mother-child type of relationship or feeling with my dolls. The very thought of it puts me off. I do not take to calling my dolls my children either, but I will not mind if someone else refers to my dolls like this, since it is something common in the hobby.

I find small dolls very cute in general, but do not want to own one because they look too much like children. I prefer older dolls as a rule, but MSD sized dolls can grab my attention as well.

For me, dolls are very beautiful and valuable pieces of art.

 

I am protective of my dolls but as to mothering them....no. The only time something anything similar to mothering comes out is during restringing, faceup work, or cleaning since care is needed to do that. I love the tinies (15cm) and the 70 cm dolls. But I don't feel like they are my children.

 

I only have the mothering instinct with Kyoshi. I even consider him as my "son" and the most special one among my dolls. I know my dolls are just pieces of art but I like to feel this way towards them

Having said that, I love children and would love to have kids some day.

 

I don't think so. Well, not for ME anyways. I don't like kids, they don't set off my maternal instincts at all(Animals and resin, on the other hand ... ).

And well, as cute as tinies are, most of the dolls I want are SD's with not-so-childish proportions. Provided, some of the dolls characters call me "mom" or "mama", but more in the sense of a kind of replacement mother figure and not their actual mom.

 

I am in a serious relationship well duh im engaged xD but i too risk losing my life if i decide to have a child (still gonna try when the right ime comes) but i have a few yosd girls and i honestly dont think a doll could honestly fill that gap up a child to me is more precious than a doll and i do call my dolls my babies but i dont really mean as human babies but more like an expression that theyre important to me almost like a baby

 

Nope, definitely not. I don't want any kids of my own (though I'm more than happy about being an aunt - my niece is just too cute for words!). And I don't really like child-like dolls, either. I mean - they're cute and all but I don't really want to own any of them. Most of my dolls look like grown-up men and I also usually go for larger dolls (SD-sized, 70cm, etc) instead of the smaller ones.

 

I'm also single and in my twenties, amd I've been ignoring my SDs in favor of pining over a Dollmore Alex -- a very youthful, childlike doll. I've also wondered if my clock is ticking, since I often catch myself staring at baby clothes and cooing over toddlers. Like you, I'm not interested in passing along my genes, and will never stoop so low as to infect a child with my DNA. A doll or adoption is the closest I can get while my god-daughters are away, but adoption is a long way off according to laws.

 

Not for me, but I know what you mean. I actually KNOW that I purchase these dolls because I miss terribly my pets that have passed. They are cute little things that can't die - that's why I have them. So I do think SOME people have underlying reasons why they get them.... And some people just like them purely for fun and creativity.

 

I think the thing is that if you like and want children, you are mothering to your dolls, and vice versa. I have a baby on the way, and while I don't treat my dolls like kids, I do have a deep connection with them.

 

I'm pushing 40, have 3 grown children & no hope (in sight anyway) of getting any grandchildren. I love my dolls, but very differently than I love my children, nieces & nephews. I would love to have had another baby of my own, but time was against me & my babies grew up. I think the appeal of resin is it's ageless. If I choose a child sculpt, it will stay a child. If I choose a mature sculpt, it will not grow old and feeble. I don't feel like a mother to my dolls, but I will protect them just as fiercely!

 

I'm married, not yet ready for children (getting nearer though!) and while I'm not sure it's a mothering instinct, as my dolls are all adults, it's definitely a nurturing thing to a point. My favorite dolls/characters to be made into dolls are all damaged, mentally ill, physically ill, etc. It's like a weird bonding thing.

 

Mother? No I'm too young for that! I'd prefer the older sister syndrome. Onee-chan has a much nice ring than mom

 

Like other people here said,I never wanted to have children. I might call my dolls My Babies sometimes,but when you spend a lot of time and money on something like with BJDs,they pretty much are your babies. I love MSD size dolls,but I always give my MSDs adult characters. People think these dolls replace children for us because even in this day and age,people can't comprehend that some women just really do not want kids. Lordy,especially where I'm from! People think there is something wrong with me because I'm in my 30's and I'm not obsessed with having kids.

I wanted to add that I do have a Tiny,and that doll represents the childhood I missed out on. I think that's a bit different than using Tiny dolls as replacement children.