Monster High Opinion

Updated on April 01, 2013
S.H. asks from Santa Barbara, CA
20 answers

I noticed a conservative friend allows her 3 year old to have a monster high backpack. I thought these dolls were for older kids and a little, um, not conservative. I am thinking someone may have giving it to her daughter as a gift. It seems like such a jump from Dora to Monster High. My daughter is 3 and I know Dora and Doc McStuffins will be out soon, but do most of you pass on Bratz and Monster High or is it unavoidable (like princesses and barbie)?

edit: my kids also watch scooby doo and other shows that are scarier (I have an older boy, so my 3 year old does get exposed to other things more boy related). i was just surprised that someone way more conservative than me had that backpack. It really is not a huge deal (my kids receive gifts, i would usually throw out/give away anything sponge bob (not something i want in my house), but then my kids like Nijago (not better, just different).

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter is 6 and has always loved scary things (we do let her watch some Doctor Who and Scooby Doo...probably where she gets it from.). We let her have the Monster High dolls because to her, they're just scary barbie dolls. As far as I know, she isn't even aware that there's a show that goes with the Monster High dolls, she just likes her "werewolf barbie" and "dracula barbie."

5 moms found this helpful
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C.O.

answers from Minneapolis on

My daughter is 6 and has owned Monster High Dolls since she was 4 years old. She also loves barbies and princess barbies. She plays with them all together. I think they're cute and I would have totally played with them myself when I was young.

4 moms found this helpful

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J.B.

answers from Spokane on

i dont see any issue with them they are no differently dressed then barbie who is also barely dressed now a days. they are toys. my 6 year old loves them (got her first at 4). they are not made to be skanky or slutty. these are adults calling them that and the same adults that by barbies for their kids. your child doesnt see the doll and go oh mom i want that slutty vampire! please please!!! they say oh look at that doll its cool, strange, pretty etc.. they put a girly twist on monsters.
all in all i really dont see it as a big deal. so she has a monster high back pack. im sure her mom knows what they are. plus you would be surprised what conservative/uptight parents buy for their kids. i she didnt want her child to have it she probably wouldnt have it.
these are toys for imaginary play your children will not assume the characters of the dolls when they grow up.

they are more then just vampires too- there are warewolfs, gargoles, mummies, zombies, venus fly trap. they do not portray any thing not child friendly. my daughter has their movies-
one is about halloween, one is about roller skating for their school, and one is about dracularas sweet 1600. they are cute movies and actually have positive story lines and endings.

7 moms found this helpful
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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

I was never a Barbie fan and didn't buy them for my daughter, but other people gave them to her from the time she was in preschool, and I let her play with them until she got bored with them, which was fairly quickly.
Monster High is just Goth Barbie.

And if your daughter is getting her ideas on how her body should be shaped from a lump of molded plastic, then you aren't doing your job as a parent,

5 moms found this helpful
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B..

answers from Dallas on

I think they are stupid, but I don't have any real issue with them. I would rather get a high quality doll that will last many years. I don't see how a toy is not avoidable. If I don't want my kid to have it, I don't buy it. I suppose they could be received at birthday parties Christmas, etc. But again..that doesn't mean they have to be given to the child.

I'm sick of people blaming dolls for body image issues. (I'm not saying you are.) I mean, really if a child is looking at a doll for body cues...the parents are failing. I never once looked at a doll and though that is how females needed to look, or felt badly about myself.

5 moms found this helpful
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K.A.

answers from Phoenix on

Eh, I don't really care for them, but if she got one as a gift I'd probably let her play with it. The thing for me is that if you're generally teaching your child the right things, I don't think a doll, or a TV show, or music is going to change a child at their core.

A common things we adults do, is that we look at things through adult eyes, with adult experiences and over analzye and put too much stock into these things, making a simple doll a tool to turn your 6 year old into a slut. To a kid, they are not looking at the doll and thinking that. They're just thinking it's a cool doll.

5 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

My sister is law is so conservative she makes me look downright liberal! Her daughters have Monster High dolls and have since they were around five.

Seems to me like they aren't your cup of tea but it is just a backpack.

Everything is avoidable, I just see no problem with the dolls.

5 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I don't mind Monster High. I do however HATE Bratz. They are downright UGLY!!!

4 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I suggest that this mother is unaware of Monster High. I have 12 and 9 yo grandchildren with whom I spend lots of time and I don't know about Monster High. I suggest you ask her if she's aware of Monster High and what they stand for. Just be curious.

I know about Bratz dolls, and I don't like them only because they're ugly in my opinion, and my granddaughter is just not interested in them. She never was enthralled with Barbies either. I could see why she might like Monster High stuff since it's about vampires. We like vampires in our family. They're good entertainment. LOL

3 moms found this helpful

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I do not like monster high. My 8 year old really wants to have everything that's monster high. I refuse to buy that stuff. She fought me so hard for halloween, and I said no way! I looked it up online and I read somewhere that they are actually made for mid to older teens, not for under age 15.

3 moms found this helpful
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J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

hate monster high. I think they are skanky and gross (bRATZ too). I do not let my kids play with them at our house. do not want them in our home. They play with them at cousins but they know we will not have them. Got some for christmas and the girls got to return them and get something else of their choosing. they liked that idea. Can you comment on it and politely clue her in? "WOW what a dramatic backpack" and see where it takes you. If she honestly had no clue and you really think it is something that would offend her if she knows what it is then maybe she would be grateful for the tip.

3 moms found this helpful
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J.T.

answers from Dallas on

i don't care for them, they look like slutty vampire-ettes to me. i have a 4yo, i can't see me allowing her to have toys dressed like that... yes, they are avoidable folks, we are the parents, they are the children :)

3 moms found this helpful
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T.A.

answers from Seattle on

I love what monster high is about..accepting your flaws and other people's as well, and everybody getting along. We love monster high, me and my girls!

3 moms found this helpful
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L.N.

answers from New York on

no pass on anything. whatever my kids like we will work with that. it's about what they want, not what i want. on a different note, i disliked dora passionately. and boots? killed my nerves. my kids like monster high and they have most of those dolls. for reference, none of my girls dress like that but the pretend storylines they come up with when they play are awesome.

2 moms found this helpful
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D..

answers from Miami on

I don't understand the conservative remark. Some people like this stuff and some people don't. Including Barbie's.

Dawn

2 moms found this helpful

D.K.

answers from Sioux City on

I have three girls ages 4,10, and 16. We don't do Bratz, Monster High, or Sponge Bob. I wouldn't say I were uptight but I am conservative. I try to find things that have some moral value and that don't glorify poor behavior. Sponge Bob is just annoying and says stupid a lot. Every so often something gets by me but not often.

2 moms found this helpful
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L.M.

answers from Cleveland on

I think you and i have more similar tastes and i totally understand your conservitive remark, It's just putting it in context.
I have a boy and a girl, we don't do Sponge bob or Bratz or Monster High,
I might give Friend a pass because it was a bookbag and not the actual toy itself, and i have to say if i could have returned it i would have but i have a weird view of wasting stuff. and i'm not sure i could throw out a brandnew bag just for the picture.
So, I dunno. I doubt i would ask friend about it. but likeyou i would wonder.

2 moms found this helpful
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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I am not sure about the conservative angle, but from the avoiding horrible gender stereotype/body image issues I think the monster high dolls are horrendous. I also do NOT see princesses and Barbie as unavoidable either. Have you looked at the Waldorf dolls? Pricey but no body image issues, both genders and very diverse.

I don't see that something received as a gift is an obligation to keep that item. My son has received quite a number of inappropriate gifts. We use them as an opportunity to discuss why we don't play with violent/character branded/ etc toys.

1 mom found this helpful

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I don't like the slutty Monster High or Bratz dolls and don't allow my daughter to have any, and I'm a quote unquote "liberal." Of course it's avoidable. You just say no. If our daughter received one as a gift, we'd either 1. return it to the store or 2. Goodwill it.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter is five, I introduced the Disney fairies to her when she was three. We've been able to skip Barbie and the princesses. She also loves my little pony.

I don't know monster high, nor does she.

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