What to do when your parents don't "like" your dolls?

People who aren’t into dolls or collectibles can’t understand the price at all. I don’t even try to discuss price of anything expensive with people who I KNOW will not understand. Example: I have a purebred ragdoll cat, and when people ask how much money he cost I simply say “a lot of money”. When I lived with a roommate who was afraid of dolls I put my doll away unless I was alone. If she came in unexpextedly, I would turn the doll so it was facing away from her. Maybe you could do something similar

 

I was in college when I bought my first doll. I paid my own tuition, lived on campus, and had a job, but my mom guilted me so much over the price of bjds that I saved the full total for my first doll three times before I bought her (the first two times, I just transferred the money from my savings jar with a picture of the doll on it to my bank account, the third time I actually bought her; this process took me about 18 months).

That was 10 years ago now! These days, I do whatever I want with no guilt, as long as I stick to the budget I can afford XD I don't show my parents any new purchases or really talk about my dolls at all. It's sad; because they are so disapproving of everything that doesn't 100% make sense to them/jive with how they personally spend their money and live their lives, they have to make rude comments about it. In the end, that rude/condescending attitude just pushes their kids away and makes them more reluctant to share what matters to them, from small things like dolls to much bigger things (these issues are not confined to bjds, lol).

I don't know if I'll ever have a kid, but if I do, I want to be supportive of them and only make prying comments if I have good reason to worry that they're spending beyond their means.

 

My parents are not fans of dolls themselves, but they know that it’s my money that I’ve earned myself and decided to spend on something I like. There was a couple times where I didn’t have a job and wanted a certain doll, and asked if I could do certain tasks and chores to earn the doll, but I always didn’t get the doll in the end as I wanted to earn it myself with my own money, and I didn’t want my parents to be upset if I ended up not liking the doll and wasting their money.

I ended up not liking my first doll, but in all honesty, it’s okay because it was my own money spent and it’s something they know I will learn from.

 

My parents don’t care either way about my dolls. My mom was kind enough to buy my first two dolls for me anyway. I never took them out while my parents were around but just because I like to be alone when I dress and pose my dolls.

If they had taken issue with it I don’t think I would have really cared?? They have hobbies and interest I have no interest in/find veeeery overpriced. But I respect them and they respect me so there isn’t much of an issue. What is money for if not getting yourself what you’d want?? (once your bills and needs are taken care of naturally!) It would have taken me much longer to get into the hobby though.

 

My parents thought they are a waste of time at first, but they always respected my hobbies. They saw how interested I was into dolls and decided that it was ok as long as I kept up my schooling.

 

I don't smoke, drink, do drugs or gamble. I choose to spend money on my hobbies instead of bad habits. As long as your bills are paid, kids are taken care of,have food on the table and you have the money for your hobbies, then by all means enjoy them. Never spend money you don't have.

 

Thankfully I'm at the age where I don't have to worry about that. My parents don't really get it but they respect my hobbies. I already spend a lot on art supplies so I think it mostly gets written off as another weird artsy thing.

 

My mum doesnt like the amount of money I spend on them but fine with the actual thing. Actually in saying that I think she likes it's getting me to actually do stuff , leave my room, do other hobbies & generally be more productive.

But in saying that too I pay my own rent feed my own family and have savings set aside everyweek so i don't get why my mum's up it about price

 

I hope one day your father comes around and respects your hobby and dolls. I mean he doesn't have to like it, but yeah. o.o

My father is not of this world anymore, but my mother fortunately seems to approve my liking of BJDs, so does my siblings. My husband, however, He doesn't dislike them, but I think due to the movie industry and their demonization of dolls in general through horror/thriller movies both him and some of our friends find them unsettling. I mean they know full well that they won't get up and walk around and potentially kill us, but at the same time, they still seem creeped out by them. Though at least he seems to respect my interest and won't stop me from pursuing the hobby as a whole, but I'll always ask for his opinion on whether he would be creeped out by a sculpt for not before committing to it. Some dolls we've looked at he's even liked too, so that is a plus.

 

Haha my whole family was so spooked by my bjd at first! But slowly my mom adored his face and understands why I love bjds. My brother not so much! He refused to be alone in a room with my bjd haha
I brought him to a class once and no one wanted to hold him XD except for my speech teacher! She was so fascinated >u< (I did a whole speech about bjds and brought mine as an example lol)

 

I wouldn't careI am financially independent yet.

 

When I used to live under my parent’s roof, I used to keep my dolls hidden from them because I knew they’d think they were weird or a waste of money.

I’ve since moved out on my own now, and now my dolls are displayed freely in my room. I only shove them back into hiding whenever I have company over so they’re still a secret. (Except for that time my mom went snooping through my room ((in my own dang house)) and found my dolls in hiding. She wasn’t as off-put by them as I thought she would be but still).

 

I mean, I have so few hobbies, yes, it's expensive but it's also my money. My Dad hates my dolls, he thinks they are creepy. I can discuss my dolls with my Mom but we never mention price.

 

my parents don't like my doll .they said it's too expensive. because my father is a guy who is really "zhengzhi".he don't like anything if he think it's useless .it's such a sad thing. so i just play with the doll in my own room.

 

Though neither of my parents really "get" my hobby, they're supportive of it. They understand and acknowledge that I'm an adult with my own interests and my own income and I can do with that as I please. My mom actually compliments my dolls often! My dad still thinks all the dolls lined up on my desk falls into uncanny valley, though, lol.

 

There aren't a lot of people in my life who understand the concept of paying Serious Money for a doll, no matter the quality or artistry. They just see a doll, and if they think about it critically at all, they probably wonder why I'm collecting them in the first place. I've had a few decades of experience with collecting things that demanded time and money that other people in my life couldn't understand. Namely, comic books, and antique clothing. As a teen, I was REALLY into comics. The first time I had more than $100 to my name, it was spent on a vintage comic book (a VF X-Men #4). My mother thought that it was obscene to spend so much money on something that was made of paper and staples. If she knew how much a bjd cost, she'd lose what's left of her sanity.

But, she doesn't see anything odd about spending hundreds of dollars on clothing. My dad spends a lot on firearms. My SO spends a fortune on gaming equipment and games. My coworker has about $2k worth of Funko Pop figures in her living room.

We all have our vices, and if we are fortunate enough to invest in them, we are invariably confusing someone in our lives who has different tastes.

 

My family really dislikes the amount of money it is to acquire these dolls, but I'm always told it's my money to do whatever I want with it. I don't have a BJD yet, but I know with that kind of talk it makes me afraid to even purchase one. Some people might not get it, but we all have our own expensive hobbies. In the end, I tell myself to go for it (once I can) because it's what makes me happy!

 

After a few attempts to show my mom things I made for my dolls or photos of them... I have given up. I hate the look on her face when I mention the topic... it is like "well... one day you will get over this... at least I hope so... why not now?"

Everytime I am waiting for a package and it finally arrives she is rolling her eyes... I think she doesn't even want to be rude, but over the years it really gets to me when everytime I feel happy doing something, she is giving me this look.
It is like she wanted to tell me that everything not related to finding a husband and getting grandchildren or whatever is just a big waste of time. I hate it and sometimes I get really frustrated about it.

I have decided to keep the hobby to myself and when she asks me what I have been doing lately I usually answer with: "not much... sleeping... existing... working... you know..."

I love my dolls and they make me so happy but I don't know anyone around me who understands the hobby... especially not in my family, what seems weird, cause my father has been collecting all kind of stuff... but maybe he gets the same look by my mom^^°

 

My family hates dolls in general, except my mom tolerates the "pretty doll" (my Doll Chateau Stacy). But they hate them mostly because of their price - and they have a censored knowledge of their price ^^'
My second younger sister also feels very uncomfortable with my dolls, so I always put them away when she is around. She hates when they are looking at her. But she also hates very realistic looking video game characters, so it must be her intolerance for the "almost human, but still isn't".

 

Before I owned them, I thought for sure my sibling was going to hate them. Calico Critters or Sylvanian Families, if any of you know them, creep them out with their 'beady little eyes' and they don't care for dolls in general so I thought it wouldn't be good... However, they have been respectful, if nothing else, and kind in their noticing me making things for them and everything. I don't think they 'get' it, but that's okay. They're nice and that's all I can ask for.