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Physical Affection with your Dolls

Mar 16, 2020

    1. The other day I was sewing some stuff for my SD boy and I had him in my lap just for ease of fit checks on the fly. At one point, I propped him up against my chest, and it was sort of like a hug, which suddenly gave me all these weird fuzzy feelings inside, as if I was hugging a real person who I cared about a lot! I even tried this out with stuffed animals and pillows later to see if it would have the same sensation, and it didn't. It was a really fascinating experience and now I've discovered a newfound joy in hugging my dolls and being physically affectionate with them, patting them on the head and stroking their faces and such.

      So, some questions!

      1. Are you physically affectionate with your doll(s)?

      2. If yes to the above, how so? (Petting, hugging, etc)

      3. Do you feel anything emotionally when you are physically affectionate with your doll(s)?

      4. Are there any dolls you wouldn't be physically affectionate to for any reason? (Examples: uncomfortable joints, too fragile, sharp parts)
       
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    2. Personally I'm not physically affectionate with my doll, no. To me they are beautiful pieces of art- I love looking at them, but I honestly don't 'touch' them much, nor do I carry them around the house etc. I will adjust their wigs and make sure they look 'comfortable' the way they are posed in their display cabinet. I guess the reason why I don't touch my dolls much is because I don't want to risk ruining their face ups + they are rather fragile- and being made out of resin they are not that cuddly to me..

      I'm very lucky to have pets (guinea pigs) that I cuddle and hug constantly instead :XD:
       
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    3. I wouldn't say I'm super affectionate with my dolls, but sometimes when I'm admiring one of my them or dressing them or whatever I like to caress their little hands and it makes me happy. ^_^ And there've been a few times when I've been lounging on the couch watching TV and if one of my dolls is out I'll nestle them in the crook of my arm and cuddle them and let them "watch" with me.
       
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    4. Mmmmm no. The only thing I feel when I touch my dolls is the cold resin.
       
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    5. @zzsleeps Aww the way you describe it sounds so cute and I can definitely relate ♡

      I'm very affectionate towards my dolls! I love holding and hugging them, having them sit on my lap or affectionally going through their hair! It creates such a bond and I can't help but feel very happy and content when I have them close by my side~ I love when you put your finger inside their hands and it feels like their holding on to you ♡♡
       
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    6. I don't really show physical affection towards my doll collection as a whole as I kind of view them as collector's items or artistic pieces and am a little afraid of ruining them somehow by messing up their face-ups or messing up those wigs of theirs, but there are certainly three that get the most affection in regards to being held, carried, having them sit on my lap or next to me, etc. The first one, my Marie/Volks SD Kun, was the one that my boyfriend-now-husband got for me. We were in a long distance relationship for many years and she was with me during that time. She would hang out with my childhood teddy bear, was introduced to our immediate family and best friends and was accepted by them, go for car rides with my boyfriend/husband and I to Volks USA when they had their store in Torrance, and we even held a tea party with her and my best friend's dolls at my future in-laws' place. My boyfriend/husband eventually got into the hobby and got a doll as well and then we got a Volks Yo-SD Kun around the same time too. The trio have gotten the most "adventures" outside of the house as well as us buying clothing and accessories for them compared to the others that only have their default outfits. From a psychological perspective, I think Marie and the other two kind of ended up being attachment objects because my boyfriend and I were far away from each other for so long and in a way they were like promises that he'll come back.

      Alas, the other dollies are our collection that we are trying to keep pristine. We love them and care for them in a sense that we would be devastated in something happened to any of them. However, the main way we show affection for them is by having them outside of their boxes and hanging out in the main room that we usually reside in. Maybe once in a while, we'll get one of them something that is only theirs, but definitely it's the initial three that are the most loved. :hug::sweat Ack, I'm a bad BJD mommy!:|
       
      • x 1
    7. I’ve only had my sd doll for a couple of weeks, but I can say I’m definitely affectionate with him. I adjust his wig all the time, which sometimes turns into petting his head, as weird as it sounds :whee: as for my yosd, I like to make her sit in my lap so we can watch cartoons together.
      If I had a reborn baby, I would treat them the same way, I guess, it’s just a child doll in a smaller scale :XD:
       
      • x 1
    8. 1. Are you physically affectionate with your doll(s)?
      A little scared of damaging her so not often.
      2. If yes to the above, how so? (Petting, hugging, etc)
      I have put her in a hugging pose so she could hug me back, I like brushing her wig when it's on her so it's like I'm brushing her hair and I talk to her
      I have a habit of fixing her fringe
      EDIT: she also has chairs, so sometimes I sit her down on my desk

      3. Do you feel anything emotionally when you are physically affectionate with your doll(s)?
      A little bit happy and relieved, in my mind she does have a personality and she is very judgemental so she helps me avoid doing something stupid occasionally (Edit: I'm pretending I'm not just arguing with myself)
      it really helps when making clothes because this helps me reflect her personality, the clothes look like they are hers and not some random stuff I put on her

      4. Are there any dolls you wouldn't be physically affectionate to for any reason? (Examples: uncomfortable joints, too fragile, sharp parts)
      Her jointed hands, resin soul, I always wanted them for posing but every time her pinkies invert I'm scared the elastic will break
      she is also a kicker (edit: I had some bruises before her elastic loosened)... I do make sure my hands are clean and I keep it to a minimum to not damage her
      Now a mystic kids Natalia is not a highly valued company or sculpt so I am getting all my experimentation out on her
       
      #8 SweetTea, Mar 16, 2020
      Last edited: Mar 16, 2020
    9. I don't have physical affection for my dolls, I do love them but just as my possessions. I'm not a physically affectionate person however, the only beings I touch, carry around and hug are my cats. I don't even hug my parents, but I am a huge weirdo (a germaphobe to top things off!) and I'm not a fan of being touched, or touching other humans. I'm very careful about not touching my dolls too much in general, because some have piercings that are just glued on, and body blushing that I don't want to redo (ever!). I do enjoy redoing their face ups every so often, but I don't want to accidentally damage one and have to redo it for that reason. I've always collected dolls but I never hugged or carry them around or plushies as a child, so for me it would be weird to do so now at an old age and such heavy dolls (most of mine are on the large side, and I'm weak and scrawny). I think it's a personal preference though, I'm super weird and not really into hugging, other than non-human living animals. (:
       
      • x 3
    10. Oh, I'm very physically affectionate with my dolls. It's a bit complicated since some of them wear very elaborate outfits that get in the way or I'm afraid of messing up, but I have a few dressed more simply and I love giving them hugs. :D It's one of the big reasons why SDs are my preferred size. And all my dolls I'll show affection by patting their heads or holding their hands (something about the feeling of a little doll hand in your own hand is just so...heartwarming :whee:). I do take great care to avoid ruining their faceups, but I find that doesn't get in the way of cuddling them.
       
      • x 3
    11. In some way, yes. As OP said, it's mostly when sewing or changing outfits, and I'll let them sit in my lap and it makes me feel rather protective. I'll also pat their shoulder reassuringly after adjusting a pose, or do the hair-behind-ear thing. Just small touches.
      In the same vein I'll talk to them, but in all honesty I do this with basically all inanimate things (and plants as well) --comes from living alone :P
      I guess it's because I feel responsible, and it's very easy to personify a human-shaped or anthropomorphic object to the point of it eliciting emotions. Especially if you spend a lot of time crafting for it, and actively reinforcing the personification by making a character.
      That being said, faceups and any bodyblushing make me a lot more hesitant to do any of that casual touching. I keep it to the clothes and wigs, mostly.
       
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    12. I've always been a tactile person, so yes, I am physically affectionate with my dolls. While they're not as "cuddly" as plushies, the weight of them is comforting, and the smooth texture of resin has its own appeal. My MSDs will sometimes sit in the crook of my arm if I'm reading or watching something on my laptop, but usually they sit on a shelf near me where I can move their hands, fix their wigs, reach over and touch their feet, etc. Tinies I can just hold in my hand or "play" with. Nearly all of my dolls are secondhand, but I am admittedly more careful with them the more body blushing and/or tiny and fragile parts they have, and I am always careful of their faces. Both looking at and touching my dolls makes me happy.
       
      • x 3
    13. Yes and no I guess. Generally speaking I don't like hugs or being touched by others, with the exception of my mother at most, and even then there's limits, so that translates into my dolls as well (my poor dog though, I will hug until she can't stand me anymore :XD:). I don't generally pat them, caress, or hug them.

      That said, I find that touching them and having them close to me is extremely good for my mental health, it calms me and helps me cope better, so whenever possible I'll carry one around my home to keep them in the same room as me, or if I'm feeling extra stressed out, maybe I'll sit on the couch and just hold one for a while. It's not quite the same as hugging a person, both in how I do it and how it feels, I think I'd compare it more to say, a child with a comfort item of theirs :XD: Which amuses me because I've always been one to be easily attached to things in general, name them, occasionally talk to them etc. I do it with my plushies, with my dolls, plants etc.
       
    14. I do sometimes, usually when I’m having a bad day or my mental health isn’t so good. I pick whatever doll whose character could relate best to my feelings and just hug/hold them until I feel a little better. On good days, I show affection by petting their heads, changing their clothes, taking pictures or just handling them a lot in general.

      The only one I have that I don’t hug or cuddle is my Dearmine Dante, partly because she’s too small, partly because she is the only doll with an artist faceup/blushing I don’t want to ruin, and partly because she has magnet parts that would probably fall off if I did.
       
    15. I'm not physically affectionate with the doll I own as it's a pukifee. Its just too small to hug or anything, but I do love to just hold her. I've also always sort of imagined having my grail doll just sit in my lap or on my desk really close to me.
       
    16. I do tend to hug objects that I love in a silly kind of way, even if they are very unsuitable for hugging, like my folders of pokemon cards :P

      The way I imagine his personality, Louie does not really like to be hugged, at least not for long, so I normally find myself respecting that. Man, us doll people are weird.

      (I mean that with the sincerest of respect to all doll people)
       
      • x 7
    17. I love holding my small dolls in my hands like om cradling them. My bigger dolls I hold in the crook of my arm sometimes. Sometimes I lay with one of them next to my head on the pillow and wrap my arm around their head. Second nature I guess, I don't even really think about it
       
      • x 2
    18. Also, while the quarantine lasts, I’ll be hugging my dolls a lot more. Well, at least until we can go back to hugging real people :XD: I’ll even make little masks for my poor babies
       
      • x 1
    19. 1. Are you physically affectionate with your doll(s)?
      Yes, particularly when I'm having a rough day. Yet, also, not all that often.

      2. If yes to the above, how so? (Petting, hugging, etc)
      Often, I will have them sitting on the bed with me, at a distance where they're still reachable, and I might just rub their foot (or shoe - if they're wearing them) or a leg. Or just hold them at their shin, or something. Other times, I will sit one of them in my lap and just hold them. I had a rather... clingy day recently, with one of them, where he'd sit on my lap and I'd rest my chin on or behind his shoulder. I was feeling crummy and down, and he just sat there. No complaints, no judging. It was... nice.

      3. Do you feel anything emotionally when you are physically affectionate with your doll(s)?
      I do feel a sense of contentment or calm, when I hold them in some way. A bit like I do, when I sit and cuddle a soft toy, although they're more malleable than the dolls. But, there's just something about the sturdy solid form of the doll and their size (all of mine that are out for me to reach for are 64-70cm).

      4. Are there any dolls you wouldn't be physically affectionate to for any reason? (Examples: uncomfortable joints, too fragile, sharp parts)
      I have my favourites, but it's more about the bonds I have with them or their characters. There aren't any that I don't hold for any reason other than I don't feel they'd not bring as much comfort as a clear favourite. But, I have come to prefer non-resin dolls [vinyl]. They just feel a little more robust than the fragility of resin. Sometimes, I'm a little too cautious of snapping the more brittle fingers, if they have them.
       
      • x 1
    20. Yes, I'm physically affectionate with my dolls :)
      I love hugging them, stroking their hair, patting them on the head and sometimes just picking them up and having them sit on my hand.
      I do feel like I have bonded with them individually and sometimes holding them is what I need to calm me down after a rough day.
      They each mean a lot to me and I really do love them - so holding them feels calming and kind of like being with a friend (I do see them as some form of companionship).
      I also collect Bears - and. although they are really nice to hug because they are softer, I don't feel the same emotionally holding them as I do with my dolls.
      I definitely have dolls that I'll pick up more than others and a couple that I won't really pick up much just because they feel slightly more delicate and I'd be scared of breaking fingers etc.

      It's really nice to see that others feel the same way with their dolls :)
       
      • x 1