The Christmas of 2008 my oldest daughter was six years-old and in Kindergarten at the time. About two weeks after Christmas, as I was tucking her bed she began to sob. "What, pray tell, could be the matter?", she replied, "I'm the only kid in my class who didn't get a Nintendo DSi for Christmas!"
Oh dear, I was not prepared to engage in a conversation about the disintegration of innocence with my little girl, plus she probably would've looked at me a bit funny. However, I did attempt to explain to her that Mommy and Daddy would rather she enjoy playing with dolls, coloring, drawing, playing with PlayDoh instead of a video game. As her big brown eyes looked into mine, I asked her how many of the 15 children in her class received a Nintendo DSi for Christmas....to which she replied, "3".
So, today as I read this article: Girls Abandon Dolls for Web-based toys, I stay true to my words from two years ago. I hope my girls play with dolls until they're in college! I agree with Kadaba that "...ditching doll play says just as much about the erosion of childhood - as well as imagination and attention spans, argue some - as it does about the multitude of gadgets and activities that vie for children's spare time."
Just say YES! to American Girl dolls!
