A question for those of you with little girls...

At what age did they start getting interested in having a baby doll to play with (the realistic looking ones)? My little girl is only 11 months - but I was thinking of getting her one for Christmas. I have been looking in the shops and some of the dolls are so cute that I can't resist. I saw one with a soft body that might be appropriate for a 1 year old.

Maddy started showing interest at around 10-11 months....we have one that's soft and has various learning pieces on it...like, a snap, zipper, button...it's awesome! I think that it would be a GREAT idea to get her a doll for Christmas!!

don't have girls, but Bri and Patrick have a doll. Not our chosing, but their Grandma insisted. (ugh, won't go there) They play with it, but no more than they do their stuffed animals. I think they were around the 10-11 month mark, too.

Katherine got her doll at 9 months but didn't really show interest in it as a *baby* doll until 11-12 months. She LOVES her doll now LOL.... actually w/ the new baby here, we even see her mimicking what we do with the baby...DH was holding nathaniel and patting his bum slightly, and katherine goes and hugs her baby doll and flips it upside down so she can pat it on the bum too! ROFL

I think Doodles got hers for her first b-day. Or thereabouts. I can't remember..argh, that's frustrating LOL Anywho..yeah, ditto the other ladies :~p

I got her one with the air bag belly. LOL that sounds hilarious! Anyway, yeah, one of those. You can blow it up as soft or firm as you desire. I'm very picky about dolls. Seems there are lots of ugly ones out there. I mean *really* Ugh! And not in that 'so ugly they're cute' way..kinda like Cabbage Patch Kids heehee So I wandered store after store, aisle after aisle to find something appropriate. I just wanted small. Soft. At least somewhat realistic looking. And with a plastic head, hands and feet. But, I didn't want it to be rock hard plastic that she could knock herself out with (LOL joking here)! I settled on that air bag belly one and she just ADORED it!

Til she finally wore a hole in the bag and then the baby was just too limp. And I read there was a lot of hassle to go through to get a replacement bag, cost and all. So, I decided not to bother.

Then she received his horribly hideous all soft baby. Well, plastic face. Oh it's ugly!! I can't stand the thing. But...she loves it. It's still around here somewhere, but losing an arm and/or a hand so she's been out of commission for a while. Mom 'forgets' to sew her back together LOL I know, I'm mean aren't I?

It's not like she's at a lack for dolls. Ok, well, maybe she is. She only has 2 cabbage patch kids and only one of those I can stand to look at. Her too. And I PROMISE she had that reaction to the other one all on her own. I didn't say a thing before she sneared up her nose and set it aside. She's really ugly. LOL

Ok, yes, I rambled terribly haha
Sorry.

But yeah..around 10 months there may be some interest showing up..the snuggling and such. And around a year they really sorta take off with the idea. Too cute!

I bought Mandy her first doll that was a rattle/crinkle material dress pretty early, after 4 boys I had to. She was really interested in a doll baby the same as the other moms said right before she was 1.

I thought I would be doomed for a tom boy after 4 boys but nope, she loves, dotes, dress, kisses, feeds, drags, nurtures her baby dolls. She is 2.5 and now has 6 baby dolls of varity. I LOVE baby dolls.

Its those "bratz" babies and dolls and other assortments that do bother me a little though. Some of the dolls out there already dress questionably, a doll for petes sake wears a tight tank top with short shorts and high heels. Ugh won't hyjack your thread on very inappropriate doll makers out there though, he he sorry about that rant there.

My twins are both 18 months but have long been interested in nurturing, hugging, kissing, little baby dolls... pretty much any stuffed animal will do, but they *love* baby dolls. I can't believe how sweet they are to these plastic babies! : )

I think that sounds perfect! My dd got her first at her birthday, and it wasn't long before it became her favorite toy. :)

ahh, yes, little girls and their baby dolls are too cute! My daughter started showing interest in them around age 1. She had one doll for a long time that was as big as she was that she had to have with her. Now she has four baby dolls - and they ALL have to be in bed with her before she'll settle down for her nap! So be prepared for that kind of attachment. :)

I know you were asking about little girls, but we got our ds a doll that drinks water and 'pees' around the age of 2 to help him get the idea of using the toilet. After he saw it 'work' a few times he just like to dress him and carry him around and the like. Not all the time, but every once in a while. I think it's very appropriate for little boys to have dolls or other things to nurture...afterall, we do want them to grow up to be good daddies, don't we?

My DD has a few from Christmas last year and her first birthday; she started really playing with them, pretending to feed, pat, put them to sleep, give them rides, clap their hands, etc. in the past couple months. She will be 2 in January and I am definitely going to expand her colection of dolls and doll "stuff" for Christmas. She has also started wanting to dress them so I will probably try to find some simple clothes too. I agree it is just precious to see them act like little mommies.

Aww...I must have the only Tomboy girl. She loves trains, dinosaurs and dirt. Dolls? Umm...not so much. She has several but her Hippo is her favorite toy so...

I think a soft bodied doll is a GREAT choice for your little one though. ~Kerri

Thanks for all your replies. It seems like this is the ideal time to look at dolls. I am giving her one for her 1st birthday (2nd November). I took my wee girl to the shops this morning to look at dolls and she very firmly made her preferences known. For one particular doll her face lit up and she kept pointing at it empatically when offered other options. It is realistic looking with a soft body. The funny thing is that it looks a lot like her (the exact same color eyes and shaped face). However, I think that it is a boy doll (dressed in blue). I find it funny that she has such strong opinions on things - she can't say much but she has no trouble making her opinion known. My son was quite different - he was very reluctant to make decisions on anything even after he could speak.

Seems there are lots of ugly ones out there. I mean *really* Ugh! And not in that 'so ugly they're cute' way..kinda like Cabbage Patch Kids heehee So I wandered store after store, aisle after aisle to find something appropriate. I just wanted small. Soft. At least somewhat realistic looking. And with a plastic head, hands and feet. But, I didn't want it to be rock hard plastic that she could knock herself out with (LOL joking here)! I settled on that air bag belly one and she just ADORED it!

Til she finally wore a hole in the bag and then the baby was just too limp. And I read there was a lot of hassle to go through to get a replacement bag, cost and all. So, I decided not to bother.

Then she received his horribly hideous all soft baby. Well, plastic face. Oh it's ugly!! I can't stand the thing. But...she loves it. It's still around here somewhere, but losing an arm and/or a hand so she's been out of commission for a while. Mom 'forgets' to sew her back together LOL I know, I'm mean aren't I?

It's not like she's at a lack for dolls. Ok, well, maybe she is. She only has 2 cabbage patch kids and only one of those I can stand to look at. Her too. And I PROMISE she had that reaction to the other one all on her own. I didn't say a thing before she sneared up her nose and set it aside. She's really ugly. LOL


I agree with you about the ugly dolls Tara. I was only really interested in the very realistic ones (even though my little one is probably too young to care). The one that I was looking at initially had realistic hands and face - but the feet were just part of the soft body (a bit like teddy feet). I must admit that I found that a bit off-putting even though she probably wouldn't have minded.

Its those "bratz" babies and dolls and other assortments that do bother me a little though. Some of the dolls out there already dress questionably, a doll for petes sake wears a tight tank top with short shorts and high heels. Ugh won't hyjack your thread on very inappropriate doll makers out there though, he he sorry about that rant there.

I agree totally. I will be avoiding these at all costs. The only concern is that she may be given something of this sort by relatives at some point.

I know you were asking about little girls, but we got our ds a doll that drinks water and 'pees' around the age of 2 to help him get the idea of using the toilet. After he saw it 'work' a few times he just like to dress him and carry him around and the like. Not all the time, but every once in a while. I think it's very appropriate for little boys to have dolls or other things to nurture...afterall, we do want them to grow up to be good daddies, don't we?

My mother gave me one of my old dolls the other day for my daughter to have when she is a bit older - but my 3 year old son has been having a wonderful time playing with her, and dressing her up in her various outfits. He also loves treating his Peter Rabbit soft toy like his baby (and he doesn't believe me yet when I tell him that only mothers can breastfed baby). However, he is a really boyish boy - loves cars, trucks, building, noise, activity, sport, being just like Daddy etc.

My mother gave me one of my old dolls the other day for my daughter to have when she is a bit older - but my 3 year old son has been having a wonderful time playing with her, and dressing her up in her various outfits. He also loves treating his Peter Rabbit soft toy like his baby (and he doesn't believe me yet when I tell him that only mothers can breastfed baby). However, he is a really boyish boy - loves cars, trucks, building, noise, activity, sport, being just like Daddy etc.

I totally kwym! My son is exactly the same way! Loves diggers and scoops, dump trucks and alllllll sports. hehe! Everyone once in a while that tender side comes out and he'll carry his boy doll around until something more interesting comes along! ha!