Scary Mommy: Why My Daughter Won’t Be Getting An American Girl Doll For Christmas
When I was in elementary school, I loved (and still do) reading. I was thrilled when the brand new series, ”American Girls,” came out. I loved reading the stories of Molly, Samantha and Kirsten. They transported us to another time and taught the girls of the 1980s what it might have been like to live in another era. But now? With their very own collection of exquisite dolls, their accompanying wardrobes and nicer furniture than I have in my living room, the only place the American Girls transport you is the poor house. (Is that not OK to say? Credit counseling, then.)
And speaking of Cabbage Patch Dolls, may I present Exhibit A as to why there is no way in hell my 7-year-old will be receiving an American Girl Doll for Christmas? Last year, she begged for a Cabbage Patch Doll, and this is how said doll spends much of her time these days:
Here’s the thing: if I thought my daughter would cherish and care for an American Girl Doll, I would totally buy her one. (I think.) I would without a doubt buy 7-year-old me in 1985 an AGD. (Can we abbreviate now, please? I’m getting irritated just typing the words out at this point.) I would have adored her, given her a middle name, slept with her and played with her daily. Let’s be honest ”” my second grader is a far cry from the nurturing mama-in-training that I was when I was 7. And that is completely fine. I have no issue with the fact that fawning over dolls is not my daughter’s thing. But there is no way that I will spend that kind of money on a toy that isn’t really her thing. Unfortunately, after poring over the AGD catalog that arrived that ill-fated day, she decided they most definitely are her thing.
She immediately plastered her walls with posters from the AGD catalog.
In my opinion, the only reason she wants one is because she believes that everyone else has one. And maybe they do. But our family has chosen to spend our money in other ways; for instance, for the price of one of those trendy doll frocks, I could buy myself a pair of shoes. I’m not kidding ”” I would think twice about buying myself an outfit that costs as much as some of those AGD outfits.
So unless I decided to buy the cast-off doll of another fickle child consumer off Craig’s List, the big guy was not going to be bringing a mini-me doll down the chimney that year. So, we decided to go with Plan B: We used our 30% off Kohl’s coupon to buy a rip-off doll instead. And our daughter was thrilled.
Several months after the arrival of ”Julia,” my daughter’s cherished pseudo-AGD, I snapped this incriminating photo of said doll in her new place of residence: The top shelf of the closet. Please note her disheveled and unclothed appearance. I rest my case.
This year, no matter how much pleading we hear, we will stick to our policy: No American Girl Dolls.
This post originally appeared on Scary Mommy. Read more here.
About the Author: Stephanie Sprenger is a writer, blogger, mother of two, and co-editor at The HerStories Project, a writing and publishing community for women. She writes about the imperfect reality of motherhood at her personal blog, Mommy, for Real. Connect with Stephanie on Facebook and Twitter.
(Photo: AmericanGirl)