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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

are your 8 year olds still playing with barbies/p pocket/dolls etc?

38 replies

t875 · 23/03/2009 12:54

Majority of my daughters friends in her class dont play with any of these things and me and her have been falling out with me saying to her they are too babyish, she even watches timothy goes to school on tiny pops..i have said to her we dont mind you watching and playing the younger stuff but to make sure she still does things of 8 year olds.

Am i just over re-acting and its them girls at her school who are just growing up too fast?

we thought she may be playing with too much stuff that is keeping her young as she is very bad behaved stroppy, disobedient at the moment.

Thanks for any advise!

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loggedout · 23/03/2009 12:58

My 9 yo will play with doll-type toys - I'm so glad she's not tripping about like a tweenager and asking to have her ears pierced!

bigTillyMint · 23/03/2009 13:01

My DD never played with them at all.

But DS did He passed them onto a small female friend aged about 7 1/2!

It's lovely that she still wants to play with dolls and watch children's TV - I am sure that this won't be causing her to be stroppy.

It's sad that the other girls are growing up so quickly. My DD has a group of friends who all like playing make-believe games, etc. But she has another friend who cannot engage in this sort of play, and just wants to slob infront of the TV as that is all she does at home. And another friend who looks down on her and says she is babyish because she doesn't watch adult TV programmes.

girlandboy · 23/03/2009 13:02

Actually, I was very surprised to see my dd getting out her old Polly Pockets recently. She's 13.

She spent a very happy hour arranging them and redressing them. I think it's nice to go back to childish things, especially when more grown up things get a bit much.

Original poster

t875 · 23/03/2009 13:04

Thanks for your reply loggedout. I think the mums and the children who are kind of friends of hers in the class look down on children of that age as its oooh too young, when i'm with you i dont think it is and they are growing up too fast. Just wasnt sure if many of this age group was playing with this sort of thing anymore.

We have been through the ear piercing thing already..lol!

I think this is what is putting my daughter off inviting the girls round our house as she feels they wont be interested in what she wants to play with etc..
I must admit i feel the parents have let the girls grow up too fast jmo.

OP posts:

MilaMae · 23/03/2009 13:06

I seriously hope my dd plays with her toys a lot longer than 8!!!!!!!!! I can't believe you're upset because your little girl is playing with toys

What would you rather she did to amuse herself?

I was playing with my dolls when I was 11 and maybe longer. Doesn't seem to have done me any harm

Original poster

t875 · 23/03/2009 13:06

i have to go out now, but thanks for all your replies. Very interesting to read. I will be back in a bit.

Glad it doesnt seem such a weird thing for her to be into by the sounds of things.

OP posts:

TsarChasm · 23/03/2009 13:08

My dd's do (7&10) They like dressing up, skipping and hula hoops, polly pocket and dolls and prams are still a big hit. Also children tv and films and books.

It didn't occur to me that it's babyish for their age, just nice really. Barbie desn't seem quite as popular now, she's been replaced with Bratz.

They also like more technical stuff too though. Ds lites and the Wii.

bubblagirl · 23/03/2009 13:09

i was baout 12 when i stopped playing with dolls

children grow up to fast these days and i dont think thats too old at all

TheProvincialLady · 23/03/2009 13:12

Same here bubblagirl.

Maybe she might like to look for some more like minded friends? If her existing friends are already ahead of their age in terms of interests etc then maybe it would be better if she found some friends who aren't before she gets to an age where it becomes a real problem?

sandyballs · 23/03/2009 13:13

It's not odd at all, 8 is still very young. I think you should be encouraging her to do this, not discouraging her. Before you know she'll be into boys and clothes, why rush her now!!

I have twin DDs who are 8 and they love dolls and spend hours dressing up Baby Born and Baby Annabell. One of them has never spent a night without Baby Annabell, long may it continue. I said to DH recently I shall be very sad when I see Baby A discarded .

Fennel · 23/03/2009 13:15

My 8yo dd1, nearly 9, plays a lot with toys - not barbies or polly pocket (she's never liked dolls or girly toys) but animal hospital, sylvanian family, and lots of other "small world" toys. She does seem younger than her peers in some ways but I quite like it. Her best friend is just 10 and is similar. Both have two younger sisters which probably encourages them to stay playing with these sorts of toys.

I don't think it's related to bad behaviour at all. Almost the opposite, dd1 seems a long way away from the pre-teen moodiness you hear about from other parents.

Simplysally · 23/03/2009 13:19

My dd who is 9 in June still plays with Barbie dolls but I have noticed that some girls in her class are eager to rush onto the "next stage" (one of them was trying to do that in Nursery!), shunning some holiday activities as 'babyish'. I want to keep my dd a little girl as long as possible without holding her back socially so it is tricksy.

KingCanuteIAm · 23/03/2009 13:20

You are activly discouraging her from playing with dolls at 8? I am really shocked! If she is happy let her be happy, don't give her a complex by telling her how her peers are "so much more grown up" than her, or implying that at least!

She watches nice stuff on tv and plays nice games, why on earth would you upset that particular status quo? Let her grow up when she is ready, after all it is her life not her friends!

Original poster

t875 · 23/03/2009 13:21

Yeah your right about the friends side of it, i will encourage her to get to know different ones.

And btw i am not discouraging it I have just been wondering as it seems quite a lot of the girls in her class look down on it as being young and say to her "oh I dont play with that anymore" I dont actually think it is, it was just out of interest hence why asking the question. Its been refreshing to read all your children are still into all that sort of thing

Thanks again for your replies!! Been very helful.

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woodenspoon2 · 23/03/2009 13:21

I remember playing with dolls and other toys at 11 /12 ish. 8 is very young to give them up. Agree with other psoters who say it is sad if she feels pressure to grow up too soon.

EllieG · 23/03/2009 13:22

DSD was never really in to dolls, but does still play at similar things on occasion and she is 10. I remember being in to stuff like this for ages when I was little. I think is nice when they are like that rather than too grown-up too quickly. DSD is not less mature than the girls in her class, but she is less 'grown-up' IYSWIM, and I like that.

bubblagirl · 23/03/2009 13:22

i think children need to be kept children it didnt do me harm children grow at different rates i find the ones who stop young and then get into grown up things tend to be way beyond there years than they should be

but 8 to me what else is there to do than play with dolls i loved my dolls still do lol although don't play with them now its better than playing on computer its imaginative and sweet i was sad to stop when i did but realized then i was too old

some girls say i dont play with dolls there babyish etc and then go home and play with dolls

Original poster

t875 · 23/03/2009 13:24

KingcanuteIam I do not discourage her i was merely getting an idea on other peoples childrens ages of playing with that sort of thing after what i have heard here from parents. I have never said to her about the other girls not playing with dolls, I always come accross positive to my child and go with the flow, was just asking the question. I dont follow the crowd and owuldnt make her, she is her own person. Thanks!

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KingCanuteIAm · 23/03/2009 13:28

Sorry, that is how this bit of your post came across to me "i have said to her we dont mind you watching and playing the younger stuff but to make sure she still does things of 8 year olds"

To me that is telling her she is being childish and that other 8yos are more grown up than her, sorry!

If your post has just led me down the wrong thought path then I am sorry, it is always useful to get thoughts and opinons.

Original poster

t875 · 23/03/2009 16:13

Oh its no problem I may well have not said it right myself or put it accross in the way i meant too.

Thanks for everyones opinions and thoughts on this. You all have been very helpful!

OP posts:

psychomum5 · 23/03/2009 16:16

my 10yr old DD3 still plays with her dolls.

and in fact, her two elder sisters, plus their friends, often come and play with them too, using DD3 as their excuse

please just let her grow at her own pace. 8yr olds really are still children!

Original poster

t875 · 23/03/2009 16:24

I'm with you psychomum I thought the same with her playing with the dolls etc..was just asking the question as a lot of mums and thier kids up the school are pretty heavily against which is very sad imo.

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madwomanintheattic · 23/03/2009 16:26

dd1 is 9 and still plays with barbies and polly pocket.

no intention to try and wean her off them lol - she is a child after all. not sure what would be more appropriate? and lol at you saying to her 'they are too babyish'...

what are the other girls playing with then? admittedly dd1 is the oldest, so we've still got 'younger' toys around, but it wouldn't have occurred to me to check what the other girls were playing with lol.

Mercy · 23/03/2009 16:26

My dd is nearly 8 and recently decided to give her Barbies to a younger friend - but at the last minute changed her mind!

Also, she's only recently started watching CBBC as opposed to Cbeebies - I was a bit annoyed a year or so ago when a couple of her friends were teasing her watching babies programmes (but they do have older, teenage siblings so I suppose that's why)

Ivykaty44 · 23/03/2009 16:28

My dd of 10 still plays with dools, she has a den at the side of the garage with parms, pushchairs and dolls and on her own or with a frind they paly mums and dads and schools - there is a black board aswell.

I doubt she still will for much longer but it is nice to watch at the moment.

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