Would you let your kids play with your dolls?

I think that BJD's are too fragile for small hands not to mention a choking hazard due to small pieces. My granddaughters (10 and 4) love my dolls but aren't allowed to touch them without my supervision. I don't let them touch my porcelain dolls either. I also don't allow them to carry my laptop around for the same reason, if dropped then it's an expensive item to replace.

 

I think it all goes back to parenting and how you taught respect. I have sat down with my niece, who is going to be five in October, and let her play with my dolls because I've shown her how they're different than other dolls. I've taught her how to hold them, how to touch them, and how not to bang them around or throw them.

She calls me LeeLee because my middle name is Leslie and I'm Aunt LeeLee to her, so my dolls are LeeLee's Dolls, and she knows that "LeeLee's dolls are special". So it's all about teaching them not to be rough. If she starts to get a little excited and begins to get rough, I tell her, "Okay, that's enough playing for now, let's clean up and do something else."

Because she knows it's because she started to get rough, she gets sad, but she learns not to do what she did before (grabbing, pulling, or sitting down too rough). I usually don't let her play with the ones I can't fix (Volks, limiteds) but ones I can. :3

If you don't teach them when they're little, and you don't let them see you can trust them when they're kids, how are they to learn and gain respect for you?

 

I don't have any kids so it doesn't really apply to me but if I ever have kids (maybe 10 or 20 years later), I probably wouldn't let them play with my dolls because kids tend to not know how valuable ball jointed dolls fully especially if they are under the age of 10 (not all kids have to be that age but just a reference for me). I will consider to let them handle my doll when they understand that these dolls are expensive and not the typical barbie doll you get for $20s or less. It's more about kids understanding what these dolls are rather than should I let them play or not. If my kids understand that these dolls are not just your everyday toy that you throw around like tossing your dirty clothes in your basket, then I don't see why I shouldn't...So long that they understand and respect the doll and handle with care, they can play all day if they wanted to.

 

I have two kids 10 and 6 and I just recently decided that I'm going to start letting them play with these dolls. Not mine, mind you, but I will buy them each a cheaper one and make sure they know how to take of it and handle it before we move up to the move expensive dolls to really start their collection.

 

No way! For one thing, kids usually wouldn't have the responsibility. And even if they did, I wouldn't want them to get into such an expensive hobby (especially at that age). These are high-quality dolls; with their allowance, they'd never be able to fully enjoy the hobby (plus ALL their money would probably go towards it!)

 

I think it depends on the child (please don't let me have misunderstood 'kid'!) and the doll.
There are a few of them that run around here quite often, and my dolls are usually around the room.
I will not let them touch them straight away.
After a while, some always ask if they can. I tell them that they are my special dolls -little people that are very fragile. If I think they can be careful, then they are allowed to play with my OT Hujoo Wings first, because I think he is less easy to break. Then the less modded BJDs, then maybe they can touch the heavy mods.
They love to help me out with things, and it is so sweet. Though my gore mods stay well away! I'm not being blamed for nightmares

 

Depends on the child. For example my twin cousins who are going to be ten soon have been raised around my dolls so they know how to handle them correctly. They are currently saving for dolls of their own. Granted they are mature and well-behaved, intelligent girls but nevertheless they are young. I believe it depends on the personality and matureness level.

 

My daughter, who is almost seven, will be allowed very limited, supervised access to my dolls. She's a bright young lady and I know she can be trusted as long as there are boundries in place. She certainly won't be allowed to play freely with them. Supervision and gentle reminders are the key. Left unsupervised though... well lets just say her barbies are a little worse for wear.

 

I don't have any children of my own, but I do have a younger brother who is around 7. But since I've had my doll, I've allowed him to handle him where I could see him. He seems to understand that they are delicate and expensive, because he treats them very carefully and honestly, watching him, it looks like he's carrying a baby. I've seen him playing with his other toys, action figures and cars and all, and he's very rough with them, but it never translates to the way he handles my boys...

 

Why?
They are not for little kids to play... That's why barbies were done xD

 

I don't have any children so it might be hard to realistically think about situation. Perhaps some kids could be trusted with dolls. But I have heard of stories where girls took scissors to their Barbies (resulting in quite bald barbies) and so I shudder to think what could happen to mine.
I can't imagine a situation where I would dare to let kids close but then again some children might be good and patient and careful enough to be allowed that "honor." Not sure if I could raise a kid like that though!

 

My daughters aren't allowed to play with my doll, BUT I am getting them their own dolls this christmas! We are all excited to play with our dolls together. Extremely supervised play.

 

I have two children one girl of six and a boy of two my girl knows that my dolls are different to hers and are not for play however she is allowed to look at them and to hold them she asks if she can have one when she's old enough and sits and gives me ideas for pretty outfits for them. My son is fascinated by my dolls but is too young to hold one for long but whenever his sister is at school he likes to have one sit in his sisters chair next to him so he can talk to it and hold hands x

 

Hm....to be honest.....no. If I had kids, I pretty sure I wouldn't let them touch my doll. I broke a lot of stuff that my dad had and made when I was a kid. If there's a chance that malice trait will spread into my kid, I'm not going to risk it.

 

I've had nightmares about children playing with my dolls XD

if it was my own child i might let them hold it or look at it carefully but any other child no way. i love children but these dolls are not childrens toys

 

I don't have kids, but I let my cousin play with my dolls under strict supervision. She's four, and the sort of kid who is into everything that she's not supposed to be into.

So I let her play with the dolls because it a) takes away the lure of the 'forbidden toy' and b) means I can supervise what she's doing with the dolls because I can guarantee that she would be in my room playing with them without permission if I said she wasn't allowed near them.

She's a good kid, she just shares my family's gene for being contrary.

Even at four, she loves the 'big girl dolls' and she plays with them like a 'big girl' - being gentle, making sure she places them down gently, coming to me when she needs help doing something. She understands that she can throw her barbie dolls around, but that the 'big girl dolls' (BGD!!) need some more care.

 

I might - but then my youngest is 28... LOL
When she was little I bought her those character Barbies (for the movie princesses, etc). She painted them all w/red nail polish & cut their hair. Creative little bugger. Her sister, in her teens (gothie teens) took those dolls & made them into Disney Goth Princesses (very very cool BTW).
So all the dolls I had at that time (not BJD but some porcelain & other kinds) I HID. Totally off limits. But I didn't get all crazy over what they did to their own dolls. My oldest now (30 :d) is showing interest in some of the darker, odder sculpts/faceups so I may gift her one.

 

....nope.

I have older kids and even THEY know not to touch unless I invite them. (art isn't a free-for-all)

 

I believe it depends, really. I don't have children, but I'm an aunt to five kids. When I get my dolls, the only one I would probably allow to play with them with me would probably be my oldest niece, who's thirteen. The younger kids are too rough with their toys, and don't listen very well when you tell them to be careful around something. Plus, I don't think their parents would like the idea of me letting them play with a doll that's so ... anatomically correct.

My thirteen year old niece, however, knows to be careful with them. She actually wants one of her own, and I might consider getting her one for her birthday sometime in the future, once I have a stable job and the money to afford it.

 

No kids, not likely to so not a problem. However, there's a reason why they're out of sight and hidden in lesser used rooms!