We happened to walk by the American Girl Place on our way to Subway. I’d already talked to the girls about how we weren’t going to go on this trip, but that I was saving it for a special one-on-one trip with each of them when they turn 10. They’ve been totally fine with this plan. We walked by, though, and just *had* to stop.
I said we could go in, but only for a few minutes and they were not to ask for anything. We walked in and their eyes became big as saucers – not because of the merchandise, but because of the amount of girls running around the store getting stuff. There were a lot of girls and a lot of shopping bags. Maddie looked at one thing and said, “Wow, this stuff is expensive.” Yes, my dear, I know. They didn’t want to stay. “Let’s get out of here,” they said. I willingly obliged. The window in front was more exciting than the chaos inside. We’ll go back when we can enjoy it – and preferably mid-week during the school year.
Half-Pint House 
Oohh, fun! You’ll love it when you go for a one-on-one trip. That way you can eat at the restaurant, go to the theater, wander. When I took Aidan, I was stunned by how many girls were carrying around multiple dolls, had bags and bags of clothes…that was soooo not us, but we had a great time.
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I just love your blog and your family. I feel like part of your family sometimes in a weird kind of way, watching you all grow up from far away and having seen you exactly twice in the past, oh, 16 years. You really must bring the blond factory down here for a visit. It’s more than a vacation. It’s more than a mission trip!
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Oohh, fun! You’ll love it when you go for a one-on-one trip. That way you can eat at the restaurant, go to the theater, wander. When I took Aidan, I was stunned by how many girls were carrying around multiple dolls, had bags and bags of clothes…that was soooo not us, but we had a great time.
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I just love your blog and your family. I feel like part of your family sometimes in a weird kind of way, watching you all grow up from far away and having seen you exactly twice in the past, oh, 16 years. You really must bring the blond factory down here for a visit. It’s more than a vacation. It’s more than a mission trip!
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Way to indoctrinate/train your girls So they didn’t like looking at the dolls and accessories because they were too expensive! Way to go! Keep up the good work.
I popped in there in February when we were in Chicago for a few days. I enjoyed the displays on the lower level with all the dolls from different periods on display. I was amazed at the children (I was there on a weekday) who were there with multiple dolls/outfits. Wow! That is hard to imagine in a family with multiple girls
Can you tell our children were raised before American girl dolls? m
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I was wondering as a Christian mom, because I also have a daughter how is very anxious to delve in the American Girls world, what you think of the company that makes American Girls and who their benefactors are?
http://www.prolifeaction.org/home/2005/girls.htm
I am at a loss for another company that sells dolls that are this affordable, the Elsie Dinsmore dolls are a little pricey, however, I know that the parent company is a Christian Company with the highest moral standards intended in teaching our gilrs about femininity
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I don’t have a good answer for you on this. It seems that no matter where we shop (unless we shop on at “Christian” retailers, and I don’t know too many grocery stores, discount retailers, car manufacturers, etc. where there isn’t some hidden contribution somewhere in their bottom line which is something I would most definitely not support).
I would not purchase the bracelet for my girls and I would speak against anything I didn’t agree with to them and help them reason through it as well, but I still do like the dolls and I like the historicity (is that even a word?) they promote.
It’s hard. You have to figure out what you think is best and go with it. We don’t participate in Girl Scouts for the exact same reasons, so I guess maybe I’m being wishy washy. Girl Scouts seems much more of a stamp for what you support (ie: if my dollars pay Girl Scout dues, I realize I’m supporting pro-life, pro-lesbian causes) where as American Girl is just buying a doll.
I KNOW. I don’t make sense. And our train was delayed yesterday by 5 hours, so I’m incoherent on top of things.
I’ll think about it a little more. But I completely respsect your decision to not purchase from the company if you have a conviction against it. Thanks for the thought.
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I found you through Rocks in my Dryer. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I will be back.
I did a trip to the NY American Girl Place with my daughter, LLB – then aged 11, and it was wonderful – expensive, but wonderful. We were going to NY for her to do a dance intensive, but we decided to do the show and the lunch on our first day there. We met friends from New England so it was truly an extra special time!
LLB enjoyed every minute of it! Her Gram gave her money to spend on a doll and LLB knew that I didn’t have money to spend on any thing else because the rest of the trip was going to be so expensive. She didn’t even ask. We had the doll shipped home so that we didn’t have to carry it. That made for an extra bit of excitement when the package arrived. (I highly recommend the shipping option!!)
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If I had a young daughter (doll age) now, I think I would probably succumb to one doll and many of the books, but refuse to be drawn into the commercialization of the American Girl stores and all the accessories, lunch with dolly, matching clothes, etc.
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I remember wishing they’d had American Doll girl-type things when I was young. My mom forbade Barbies (as I do), but she professed a willingness to pay more for dolls that looked like girls. (And I would probably have had one, cherished her, and spent every penny for a matching dress for me.) Because my girl isn’t four yet, we haven’t yet faced the American Girl issue.
The commercialism is upsetting, but, Megan, I agree, if it encourages a love of history and reading (and appropriate, non-naval-bearing, matching dresses), supports what real girls look like and isn’t Barbie, well, we’ve made some progress.
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We started getting American Girls catalogues right around the time I was old enough to enjoy that kind of thing, so my parents and I agreed that if I wanted the dolls, I would have to save up for them. So I did–birthday money, spare change, etc. Once I had enough for a doll, I’d give the money to my parents, and they’d order the doll (and usually surprise me with the first accessory kit). I got all the books, too, along with the writing desk and some of the craft books. I *really* wanted some of the girl-sized clothes, but nothing came of that.
By the time I had Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly, I was old enough a) to treat them like collector’s items and b) to recognize that the tone of the collection, and of Pleasant Company, had taken a turn I didn’t agree with. So I decided to save my money for other things instead.
I agree about what we can and can’t do about corporate sponsorships, Megan. But I think it also depends on what product you want. American Girls (and, from what I’ve seen, Elsie Dinsmore) are collectable dolls that girls can still play with. Madame Alexander dolls are far more collectable; Raggedy Ann is far more conducive to play. I enjoyed them all.
Then again, I always was a bookish child and a history buff even before American Girls, so….
LikeLike
Way to indoctrinate/train your girls So they didn’t like looking at the dolls and accessories because they were too expensive! Way to go! Keep up the good work.
I popped in there in February when we were in Chicago for a few days. I enjoyed the displays on the lower level with all the dolls from different periods on display. I was amazed at the children (I was there on a weekday) who were there with multiple dolls/outfits. Wow! That is hard to imagine in a family with multiple girls
Can you tell our children were raised before American girl dolls? m
LikeLike
I was wondering as a Christian mom, because I also have a daughter how is very anxious to delve in the American Girls world, what you think of the company that makes American Girls and who their benefactors are?
http://www.prolifeaction.org/home/2005/girls.htm
I am at a loss for another company that sells dolls that are this affordable, the Elsie Dinsmore dolls are a little pricey, however, I know that the parent company is a Christian Company with the highest moral standards intended in teaching our gilrs about femininity
LikeLike
I don’t have a good answer for you on this. It seems that no matter where we shop (unless we shop on at “Christian” retailers, and I don’t know too many grocery stores, discount retailers, car manufacturers, etc. where there isn’t some hidden contribution somewhere in their bottom line which is something I would most definitely not support).
I would not purchase the bracelet for my girls and I would speak against anything I didn’t agree with to them and help them reason through it as well, but I still do like the dolls and I like the historicity (is that even a word?) they promote.
It’s hard. You have to figure out what you think is best and go with it. We don’t participate in Girl Scouts for the exact same reasons, so I guess maybe I’m being wishy washy. Girl Scouts seems much more of a stamp for what you support (ie: if my dollars pay Girl Scout dues, I realize I’m supporting pro-life, pro-lesbian causes) where as American Girl is just buying a doll.
I KNOW. I don’t make sense. And our train was delayed yesterday by 5 hours, so I’m incoherent on top of things.
I’ll think about it a little more. But I completely respsect your decision to not purchase from the company if you have a conviction against it. Thanks for the thought.
LikeLike
I found you through Rocks in my Dryer. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and I will be back.
I did a trip to the NY American Girl Place with my daughter, LLB – then aged 11, and it was wonderful – expensive, but wonderful. We were going to NY for her to do a dance intensive, but we decided to do the show and the lunch on our first day there. We met friends from New England so it was truly an extra special time!
LLB enjoyed every minute of it! Her Gram gave her money to spend on a doll and LLB knew that I didn’t have money to spend on any thing else because the rest of the trip was going to be so expensive. She didn’t even ask. We had the doll shipped home so that we didn’t have to carry it. That made for an extra bit of excitement when the package arrived. (I highly recommend the shipping option!!)
LikeLike
If I had a young daughter (doll age) now, I think I would probably succumb to one doll and many of the books, but refuse to be drawn into the commercialization of the American Girl stores and all the accessories, lunch with dolly, matching clothes, etc.
LikeLike
I remember wishing they’d had American Doll girl-type things when I was young. My mom forbade Barbies (as I do), but she professed a willingness to pay more for dolls that looked like girls. (And I would probably have had one, cherished her, and spent every penny for a matching dress for me.) Because my girl isn’t four yet, we haven’t yet faced the American Girl issue.
The commercialism is upsetting, but, Megan, I agree, if it encourages a love of history and reading (and appropriate, non-naval-bearing, matching dresses), supports what real girls look like and isn’t Barbie, well, we’ve made some progress.
LikeLike
We started getting American Girls catalogues right around the time I was old enough to enjoy that kind of thing, so my parents and I agreed that if I wanted the dolls, I would have to save up for them. So I did–birthday money, spare change, etc. Once I had enough for a doll, I’d give the money to my parents, and they’d order the doll (and usually surprise me with the first accessory kit). I got all the books, too, along with the writing desk and some of the craft books. I *really* wanted some of the girl-sized clothes, but nothing came of that.
By the time I had Felicity, Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly, I was old enough a) to treat them like collector’s items and b) to recognize that the tone of the collection, and of Pleasant Company, had taken a turn I didn’t agree with. So I decided to save my money for other things instead.
I agree about what we can and can’t do about corporate sponsorships, Megan. But I think it also depends on what product you want. American Girls (and, from what I’ve seen, Elsie Dinsmore) are collectable dolls that girls can still play with. Madame Alexander dolls are far more collectable; Raggedy Ann is far more conducive to play. I enjoyed them all.
Then again, I always was a bookish child and a history buff even before American Girls, so….
LikeLike
I thankfully dont have to deal with dolls for the most part, my boys do each have a boy cabbage patch born on their same birthdays(part of why I couldnt resist) but I was a doll kind of girl. I always had Madame Alexanders…tons of them, the cat type to play with mostly they are expensive, but you know I have to say some of mine were WELL PLAYED with and are still in good condition and they are 30 years old. I had other kinds of dolls but none of them survived my childhood etc the way the MA dolls did.
Also MA has a doll hospital and they repair “babies” too.
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I thankfully dont have to deal with dolls for the most part, my boys do each have a boy cabbage patch born on their same birthdays(part of why I couldnt resist) but I was a doll kind of girl. I always had Madame Alexanders…tons of them, the cat type to play with mostly they are expensive, but you know I have to say some of mine were WELL PLAYED with and are still in good condition and they are 30 years old. I had other kinds of dolls but none of them survived my childhood etc the way the MA dolls did.
Also MA has a doll hospital and they repair “babies” too.
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Hi All. I came across this post because that great photo caught my eye. It is so sweet with the little girls standing in a row looking totally transfixed. We have been to the store in NY 3 times now but we have a very strict rule… no buying! I know this sounds rough but the AG store has this great option. You can get a little shopping wallet and when you wander the store you can pull the slips for each product and put them in your wallet as a “wish list”. My daughter loves to do this as she really feels like she is shopping and then when we get home I wait until it sits in her drawer for a few weeks and then throw it away. I also think that the store is a great opportunity to teach kids about over consumption. The little girls wandering around with multiple dolls and huge shopping baskets are a really ugly sight – and kids get that, as your daughters obviously did.
Anyway – we got so fed up with the prices and wanted our daughter to be able to play, so we opened our own store with less expensive options. Visit us here: http://www.dollsclothes-emilyrose.com.
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Hi All. I came across this post because that great photo caught my eye. It is so sweet with the little girls standing in a row looking totally transfixed. We have been to the store in NY 3 times now but we have a very strict rule… no buying! I know this sounds rough but the AG store has this great option. You can get a little shopping wallet and when you wander the store you can pull the slips for each product and put them in your wallet as a “wish list”. My daughter loves to do this as she really feels like she is shopping and then when we get home I wait until it sits in her drawer for a few weeks and then throw it away. I also think that the store is a great opportunity to teach kids about over consumption. The little girls wandering around with multiple dolls and huge shopping baskets are a really ugly sight – and kids get that, as your daughters obviously did.
Anyway – we got so fed up with the prices and wanted our daughter to be able to play, so we opened our own store with less expensive options. Visit us here: http://www.dollsclothes-emilyrose.com.
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