Seeking Advice About Barbie

My almost 12-year-old step-daughter still plays with Barbies, at least when she's with my 5-year-old. But we are starting to give her Bratz dolls instead as that's more her age group.

I definitely played with Barbie until well past 10 years old---mostly just changing their clothes and fixing their hair. But then again girls now seem to grow up sooo much more quickly than they did when I was that age. Really makes me glad I am not a kid now!
Anyway, I see no harm in her playing with Barbies as long as she wants. I think she is probably far better off for retaining some of her childhood than growing up so quickly like other girls.

I AM A MOTHER OF A 12 YEAR GIRL AND SHE IS THE ONE WHO FEELS SHE WANTS TO GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE. HER NAME IS RAVEN.
RAVEN SAYS THAT SOME OF HER FREINDS DID STOP PLAYING WITH BARBIES AT THE AGES OF 9 AND 10 BUT OTHERS DIDNT PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY WERE MORE INTO TECHNOLOGY. BUT AS FOR HER SHE DIDNT STOP PLAYING WITH DOLLS UNTIL SHE WAS 12 YEARS OLD. BUT SHE STILL HAS THEM BECAUSE SHE COLLECTS THEM. RAVEN SAYS TO YOUR DAUGHTER THAT SHE SHOULD IGNORE THOSE WHO TEASE HER AND TO JUST BE PROUD OF WHO SHE IS AND ENJOY HER CHILDHOOD. HOPE THIS HELPS. GOOD LUCK

My daughter is almost 10 and she still plays with dolls. Mostly Bratz dolls. I think the kids consider them a step up age-wise to Barbie and they don't tease about those for some reason. I was surprised also that my daughter asked for a Baby Born doll and stroller this year for Christmas. She also asked for makeup, CD's and other "tween" stuff. I think they are at an age where they really are in between being a kid (and wanting to play with kid toys) and being a teen and wanting to act more grown up. I personally see nothing wrong with holding onto being a kid for a little bit longer. There are so many other influences that make them grow up way too fast. I'm happy to see that my daughter still plays with dolls.

Nowadays, many girls DO give up dolls sooner than they used to, but who cares? Your daughter is better off, anyway!!
Girls are trying to "grow up" WAY too fast in this day and age. The fact that those girls are giving her a hard time about still liking dolls is proof of it. They're probably doing things they shouldn't be doing, watching shows they shouldn't be watching, etc-- all because they're trying to act older than they really are. Girls who try to act so much older than they really are, are the ones who start dating sooner, and start acting more sexual sooner. You don't want that, anyway, right?
This is mostly a social problem due to the media. Even the newer dolls are, in my opinion, pushing the limits.
Like the Bratz dolls...they drive me nuts. And thankfully, my girls don't like them either. They're always dressed like little hookers. Even my 9 year old says "Why do they have to make them so immodest?"
If you think about it, even most of the shows on the Disney channel are inappropriate for little girls. That's who they're MARKETING to, and who their target audience is, but the material is usually 5 to 10 years ABOVE age level appropriateness.
Look at shows like Hanna Montana, Lizzie McQuire, the Cheetah Girls videos, etc. The target audience for these shows is 6-11 year old girls. But the shows are about teenagers-- dealing with boyfriends and all the melodrama of highschool sorts of things. They're not playing with Barbies. There's a HUGE empahsis on fashion and pop-culture-- always talking about who their latest crush is, designer clothes, cell phones, Ipods, etc. The shows are about teenage things, but it's not teenagers watching the shows. I honestly don't know a 16, 17 year old girl who watches these shows. And I work with teenage girls-- at work and at church. Most teens are doing the same thing the littler girls are-- watching shows that are above THEIR age level, for the same reason.
The media is marketing MTV, VH1 and shows like The OC, Wildfire and other "teen soap opera" kind of shows to them.
I hate those stupid "coming of age" shows. They do nothing but promote early sexuality to our kids, and make it look like it's okay.
So I say-- you're doing a GREAT job if your 10 year old still acts like a 10 year old, instead of a 16 year old!
Empower her to stand up for herself-- to not CARE if some snot-nosed twit gives her a hardtime for liking Barbies. She's entitled to like what she likes. Especially when what she likes is perfectly appropriate for her age.

T.

You have to realize that kids today are more and more pressured to grow up faster than kids several generations ago. Believe it or not, Barbies were actually orginally designed for girls around the age of 16 to play with, but the younger girls started playing with them. Kids today think it is uncool to play with Barbies much over the age of your daughter. I say if your daughter enjoys playing with them still, you need to give her the strength and courage to stand up for what she likes regardless of what her friends like or do. If you don't start here, you will find that she will have a more difficult time telling her friends "NO!" to drinking, drugs, or sexual related activities. What you do and say, will guide your daughter's choices. Give her the message that it is okay to still play with Barbies, even if her friends don't (if that is what she enjoys).

My ten year old daughter still plays with barbies and other dolls also. It is very normal and the kids that tease her are probable jealous or insecure. Their age group is a tough transitional time. Thier hormones are making them feel and think older but they are still little girls. Some girls are trying to rush through and look down on any "child like" toys. This makes them feel like they are more grown up. If you get these girls to drop the pretense then I have seen many girls playing with these toys. When she is readdy she will move on, untill then it is very normal.

I have a 10 year old who doesn't really play with her Barbies (And oh when I think of the money we spent on those, lol), but she still plays with her baby dolls. I have no problem with this at all, even though last year her 3rd grade teacher told all of the girls in the class they were too old to play with dolls anymore. I wasn't happy about that and it really worried my daughter that she was doing something wrong. I think anything that allows my daughter to nurture something is a good thing, even if it's a doll.

In my mind, as long as your daughter is having fun, let her play with those Barbies as long as she wants! I think the age that they give up dolls just depends on the girl.

As far as her friends go, stress to your daughter that she's being herself and there's nothing wrong with that. Let her know that it's okay to be an individual and play with her Barbies even when no one else in her class does. My 10 year old is the only one in her class that owns dolls anymore and after assuring her that it really was okay as long as she was having fun, she got over her worries and has quite a budding plastic family living in her bedroom! :-)

And by the way, I played with my Barbies up until I was 13 - and so did every other girl my age. Little girls aren't little as long as they used to be, are they?

Todays children really suck if you ask me...they grow up to fast!!! I played with my Barbie Dolls until I reached 7th grade!..but if she feels comfortable playing with her dolls, let her...you don't want her growing up too fast..one day she'll set those dolls aside and then move on to telephones and computers and BOYS!!!...I'm 28 years old, and I still collect Barbie Dolls...They cost alot more money, but I still love to look at them in my curio cabinet....

I don't see anything wrong with her playing with dolls at ten. Its probably a good thing. And some of these kids that make fun of her are probably still playing with dolls too. Sometimes it only takes one to start teasing, and others will just go along with it to fit in. She can still play with her dolls and her friends not know about it. Good luck, K..

My friends and I played with Barbie till we were twelve. Kids are growing up too fast these days!

I am also the mother of a 10 year old girl. I have noticed kids in general are maturing quicker than we did. I recently read an article where it said the new "tween" is 10 to 12. My daughter gave up her Barbies around 8.
If the teasing isn't causing her emotinal distress I wouldn't worry about it. But if your both concerned then maybe you can find a way to combine her Barbies with a more current idea. Such has finding out what she wants to be when she grows up and have her act it out with the dolls. This way she can say she is getting practice for when she grows up. If all else fails have her tell her tormenters different strokes for different folks. She does not have to buckle to peer pressure and I firmly belive she needs to know that. It will help in the long run.
Hope this helps,
P.

I remember playing with dolls when I was still 10 and I can remember my brother at my sons age now, still playing with action figures. Unfortunatley, the times have changed. My son at almost twelve would completely flip a lid if I were to buy him an action figure now. Girls are definitley maturing faster too. At 10 its already about ipods and cell phones, boys and secret clubs. Of course we never want our kids to not be made fun of, but I would give anything for my son to be less mature. There are boys in his class who still play cops and robbers and even though he thinks its uncool, he is still friends with them. I am sure she will make up her mind when the time is right, and if she wants to play with barbies and still act 10, then let it go. I am assuming this is her last year as a grade schooler(in texas 6th grade is junior high), so I bet it will be different when she starts interacting with older girls.

Cool toys are whatever is popular with the scene setters. Being a mommy is so hip right now and babies are the latest fashion accessory among stars, so I am not at all surprised tweens would be asking for dolls and strollers to mimic the latest craze. Bratz are just street wise Barbie dolls, but hipper is more tween appropriate, so I can also see why they are more acceptable. I think it is great your ten year old still plays with traditional Barbies, if that is what she enjoys. I would try to help her understand and deal with the teasing instead of the Barbie playing.

My 11 yr. old also still plays with dolls. She just got a Cabbage Patch Doll and is so excited. She also plays with bratz dolls. Maybe try urging her toward somthing like that. They seem to be more "grown up".

Hello N. H.

We should commend you for being an obsessed Mom. As all experienced Moms can tell you, it is the very little things that count in being a good parent and making sure that our children grow up in a wholesome manner. Please let your daughter take as much time that she wants with her percious Barbie. If she is being teased by her friends at school, then perhaps your daughter's Barbie is the only True Friend that she has right now. A real friend that she can confide in and one that accepts her for who she truly is! Some of us will never outgrow our children as long as we are alive. Likewise, some of us will never out grown our Barbie. So let your daughter enjoy being a kid for as long as she wants. Take care, and have a happy New Year! Also, Happy New Year to all the Moms out there in Mamasource!

My daughter is only 8, so she isn't quite to your daughter's age. But I still played with Barbie's at the age of 10. Some girls seem to mature more rapidly than what I remember doing at that age, but I still don't think she's too old for Barbies. Bratz dolls are pretty popular for that age range also. I really don't have any suggestions as to how to handle the teasing, but personally, I think she is still in the appropriate age range to play with dolls.

I didn't give up barbies until I was about thirteen, and even then I still sewed clothes for them and played with their hair. If she's having fun I say let'er; there's a lot worse things to be interested in.

I myself played with barbie till i was 12, and now that i have a daughter i play with her with them. i dont think there is any right age to stop playing with them, if her friends and teasing her then i would just tell her not to play with them around them. good luck

I am a teacher of ten year olds and I think it is perfectly normal. She is probably very imaginative. I saw a post below that mentioned kids are maturing faster AND YES they are! I taught 6th grade last year and WOAH they are maturing WAY too fast. IT had only been 11 years since I had been in 6th grade and things had changed dramatically. You definately want her to stay innocent for as long as possible. Not oblivious to the outside world, but she still needs to be a kid.

I am a 32 year old woman who just loved Barbie. I was getting ready to start High School when I stopped playing. I think I only stopped because of everyone else. Everyone matures at a different rate. Don't make her grow up too fast. It seems like now a days that kids want to be adults so quickly so I would just cherish the fact that she still wants to be a kid. I don't know if that helped at all but I hope it did if even just a little.