Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Finally warming up to the idea of American Girl

I always considered American Girl dolls to be a huge waste of money. I mean, it's a doll. You know, plastic with fake hair, just like other dolls in other stores. But because of their name and label, American Girl dolls are expensive! A basic American Girl doll comes with a price tag of $115, and that doesn't count any extra clothing, pets, shoes, furniture, hairstyles... you get the idea.  

I have always considered myself lucky that we could browse the American Girl store and depart without a question, a request, or a tantrum because my daughter, now seven years old, has never been much of a "doll person". Her menagerie of stuffed animals have been the ones to attend school, watch movies, play games, and get fed just like dolls might at another little girl's house.


Until this past weekend, I have never heard a peep from her about American Girl. Even when the catalogs arrived at our house, my daughter would browse the photos and learn the dolls' names, but she never asked for one. Now it looks as if we may have an American Girl Christmas. Santa had better get ready! (She knows better than to ask Mom and Dad for a $115 toy.)

I am warming up to the idea. I am glad that we did not fall into the American Girl doll craze earlier, when she would have been too young to take proper care of an expensive doll or even understand what "expensive" really means. 

We had a great time browsing the American Girl store last weekend. All of a sudden, her eyes opened with wonder and excitement about the seemingly endless looks and features. She pointed out a doll with glasses similar to hers. She gushed over a doll in a wheelchair and said how nice it was that any kid can find a doll with their own unique style. We found a doll that looked most like her and one that had a skin tone and hair most like me. We found soccer outfits and ski outfits, glasses, braces, crutches, hats... it was a fun exploration in the middle of a mall on a Sunday afternoon. 

And, you know what? She is right. It is so nice that a little girl can step into this very pink world and find a customized doll that looks like her. If Santa does bring an American Girl doll to our family later this year, I hope she has really cool glasses. 



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