American Girl Doll the “Price” of Admission for a Birthday Party? FAIL!
This is Rebecca, a $105 American Girl doll.
This’ll be short, because it’s a short story that’s left me, on the how-do-I-feel spectrum, adrift between puzzled and spitting mad, and I’m interested in opinions.
The other night, at our friends’ house for pizza, my friend, Sally, mentioned that her daughter, Phoebe, who is five, was just invited to one of her pals’ birthday parties. Because this little girl has an August birthday, I guess it’s been an issue — people out of town, parties hard to plan — and the girl apparently really wanted Phoebe to be there. So the girl’s mother texted Sally to let her know what the date would be, in advance of sending invitations. Sally checked her calendar and, noting that Phoebe was actually scheduled for an overnight at her grandmother’s, shifted things around and texted back that she would leave the party day free and clear.
And then the invitation arrives: The party will be held at one of those birthday-party places that have popped up in our area, where a gaggle of girls get manis and makeovers and come home sparkly and dolled up (the equivalent for little boys’ parties, I’ve found, is glow in the dark mini-golf, zombies optional where the boys come home with those rubber fingers with fake blood, or vampire teeth).
The kicker, though, was that the invitees are asked to Bring Your American Girl Doll!
Puzzled? Mad? Kind of both, and my friend feels the same, plus annoyed and betrayed and in a tough spot with Phoebe, who has many, many dolls, but not an American Girl doll.
You know the kind: They are expensive, and compel you to buy extras and tempt you go to the store (if you have on near you) for brunch and hair styling with your dolls.
I have nothing against American Girl dolls in principle. They each have a back-story and an accompanying book. I haven’t examined one closely in a while, but I was under the impression they’re well-made. Kind of keepsake-worthy. The kind of doll,had I had one when I was a girl, my grandmother might have whipped up some outfits for out of her fabric scraps (I had thebest dressed Barbies, ever. Mine had a gold lame gown and a mini-skirt and peasant blouse, plus a wedding gown and other assorted outfits that my friends’ dolls could only envy).
The point is not that I would have had one doll to treasure, while many of today’s American Girl devotees have several, amounting to a pretty hefty investment). The point is not even that it’s gotten to a (to me) ridiculous point where you have to reserve the expensive American Girl brunch at the store months in advance, and take out a small loan to pay for it.
The point is that now Phoebe has no AG doll to bring to the party. The point is Sally hasn’t felt compelled to buy her one (and has gone to lengths to stash unsolicited AG catalogs in the recycling before Phoebe can see them). The point is that the mother of the birthday girl checked that the day was free for Phoebe but didn’t mention the doll factor. The point is that had the invite arrived without the pre-text-invite, Sally could have said, “Oh, look — turns out you can’t go to so and so’s party after all, you’ll be at Grandma’s,” and problem solved.
So. What does she do now? What’s your take — party? No party? Send her with a different doll? Confront the other mother? Buy an AG doll and start that ball rolling?
August 19, 2012 @ 2:00 pm
Eh, arrangements have been made so I’d just send her with a different doll.
August 19, 2012 @ 2:33 pm
I would not send my daughter to the little princess party, but I’m mean that way. How about ask the other mom, “Phoebe doesn’t have an American Girl doll. Is she still welcome at the party?” And if the answer is anything except an enthusiastic “Yes!” then don’t go. If Phoebe is going to go and bring her favorite non-AG doll, make sure she understands that her doll may be different than all the other girls’ dolls and make sure Phoebe is going to be okay with that. Better to prepare ahead than go in blind.
August 19, 2012 @ 3:07 pm
I agree with the first comment with regards to calling the other mom and asking if another doll is ok.
August 19, 2012 @ 6:46 pm
The sad thing is, the girls probably want to be together, to have fun at the party — they like each other enough for the birthday girl’s mom to check availability prior to sending the invite — and the AG thing? It’s most likely all about the mom.
I don’t have a daughter, but if a similar situation arose with my son and say, needing to bring a specific Lego construction to a party, I’d talk to the other mom and explain that we don’t have said item and have no intention of purchasing it for the purpose of the party. I’d ask all kinds of questions and if, like Lynn says, I got anything less than an enthusiastic “come anyway, it won’t matter!!” I’d opt out. I’d most likely lie to a 5yr old about why she wasn’t going, but tell the truth to a kid as old as my son, who is nearly 11.
Regardless, it sucks. And it’s kind of shocking to think that this mom probably has no clue just how much it sucks.
August 19, 2012 @ 8:21 pm
Yeah, I think you talk to the mom and see what the deal is. Even if it’s 100% fine that Phoebe doesn’t have an AG doll and is still welcome to come to the party (which is hopefully the case), how utterly bizarre and uncomfortable and insensitive to make the assumption that all of the guests already have one. And certainly not OK if any part of the party focuses on buying accessories/bling/etc. for the AG dolls in a way that makes the non-AG kid(s) feel left out. Hopefully this is a case where some of the other invitees are in the same boat and someone needs to step up and point out that the emperor has no (doll) clothes and this is not OK.
August 19, 2012 @ 8:53 pm
Is it possible that the invitation said “American Girl Doll” in an attempt to specify the size/type of doll? Maybe a better word choice would have been “baby doll.” For example, if it just said “doll” and some girls brought Barbie type dolls to a tea party with dolls type of thing, it wouldn’t work quite right. I think the best action is just to bring a similar doll and not mention the brand name. If the daughter without the American Girl doll felt bad after the party, I think that’s a great opportunity for her mother. American Girl dolls are just one of many many brands the daughter will encounter in her life. Hard as it is, we all need to learn that our worth is not tied to the brand of dolls we play with, car we drive, clothes/shoes we wear, etc.
August 20, 2012 @ 11:08 am
I really like this answer…the whole name brand consumerism crap especially at young girls REALLY bothers me.
August 19, 2012 @ 11:25 pm
I’d call and check with the mom first. If she says it’s fine to bring any doll, or no doll at all, then by all means, let the child go! Any response but that, I would keep her home. But how to explain that? It’s a cruel lesson to have to learn so young. I don’t know if I would buy my girls a doll just to attend a party, but Madame Alexander makes dolls almost identical to American Girl Dolls (without the history and book and “personality”) for around $25.00-$30.00. If any five year gave gave another kid grief about the brand of her doll, the whole friendship needs rethinking!
August 20, 2012 @ 6:13 am
Just send her with another doll. I wouldn’t fall into the mothers trap and ask. It makes her sound as as if she is unworthy of the invitation. If there are any comments made about non AG doll I think the teaching opportunity is to the parents and how she isn’t falling prey to the parenting trap. My question is though, why is Sally throwing away the AG catalogs? They are fun to look at. And as Margaret suggests children should be aware that different family values exist and the AG catalog is a great way to start the conversation. Sally isn’t always going to beat her daughter to the mailbox. There’s going to be more “to hide” as her daughter gets older. Has she seen the price of sneakers?
August 20, 2012 @ 6:18 am
I like the ideas above, but would add that Sally could also ask the Mom directly if the birthday girl had a 2nd AG doll that Phoebe could “borrow” for the party.
August 20, 2012 @ 7:57 am
I had the same idea as Jmac….could Phoebe borrow and AG doll from someone else for the party?
August 20, 2012 @ 8:41 am
I am fascinated as I was just getting ready to post about our party planning for my daughter who wants an AG tea party theme. To my daughter & her friend AG is just the term for the 18″ dolls – many of them have the knock-offs and Santa brought my daughter hers at age 7 after years of letting her look at the catalog but telling her it was too expensive for mom & dad to buy. She has knock-off clothes & accessories & she has learned that the brand doesn’t matter when you can buy the same $50 thing from the catalog at a garage sale for $5. On her invites, she has written in to “bring your AG doll or any stuffed animal or both (the more the merrier)”. Her choice of words. I do know that the few little girls she is inviting have AG dolls or similar size dolls (bcuz they discuss this all the time) but they would be welcome to bring any doll or favorite toy or nothing at all. Also – I have found a lot of similar sized china dolls on eBay or at Goodwill for about $5 or less and I think I’d look for something like that to take if Phoebe doesn’t have anything she feels comfortable taking. I know with my own daughter it would be about having something that is similar and pretty to show her friends – she wouldn’t mind different bcuz to her different is special. Its a matter of how Sally presents the dilema to Phoebe – is it a big deal or a minor one that can be worked around?
August 20, 2012 @ 8:51 am
How appalling! How can anyone assume that everyone owns an expensive and specific doll? These are five year olds! If everyone else has the coveted American Girl doll, Phoebe will feel like an oddball and get “looks’ like she ate a worm. These “looks” can stay with a child a long time. I’d continue to not push the materialistic ideal, and call the mom back, telling her the truth. If she offers to borrow one for Phoebe, just tell her that it was kind of her to invite Phoebe, but that you’ll just stick with your original plans. If the mother protests, just say perhaps the invitation could have read, “Please bring a favorite doll”, and not a specific, expensive doll. Explain that children this young don’t understand expenses, and you don’t want your children to just expect everything they see in the media no matter the expense. Why don’t parents think first? This mom missed a great teaching opportunity! Thoughtfulness must be taught!
August 20, 2012 @ 9:21 am
My daughters (twins) had a “best friends” party when they were six and I asked each girl invited to bring her favorite doll. Some of them didn’t have dolls, so I put the word out that a stuffed animal was also fine, as the point was that the girls would spend some time talking about and sharing something that was important to them. My guess would be that this party is the same thing. While it’s unfortunate that the mom specified only an AG doll, I can’t imagine the kids are going to care at all at that age.
I’d probably send my daughters with a favorite doll and let it go at that. As the dolls are pricey (there are knock-offs at Target — Our Generation — that are much cheaper,by the way) I’d be surprised if Phoebe is the only guest who doesn’t have one. My daughters got the Bitty Babies as gifts when they were three, but didn’t get their “Looks Like Me” AG dolls until they were 8 (and they both earned them.)
August 20, 2012 @ 10:12 am
Honestly, it said to bring your doll. It didn’t say you HAVE to. I’d send her with a different doll or buy one of the OUr Generations from Target.
August 20, 2012 @ 10:43 am
my 7-year-old daughter read this over my shoulder, so i asked what she thinks. she thinks that the girl should be able to bring a stuffed animal or another doll that is as big as the others. she thinks that the girl will still want to go, even if she doesn’t have the “right” doll.
please let us know how it turns out!
August 20, 2012 @ 11:43 am
Its horrible when you pressure children into bringing things they may not have. We went to a nerf war for a birthday party, and asked that if we had a “nerf” type gun to please bring it, but if we didn’t it was okay they would have PLENTY on site to share. We also didn’t have to bring any darts those were provided too. I think if you are doing something special, you need to make sure all are included in the same way. Its not anything more then making each child feel included and happy at a birthday party. After all it is a celebration not a competition!!
August 20, 2012 @ 12:28 pm
I’m not sure how I feel about this whole AG doll thing. In principle, the dolls aren’t a bad idea – they’re just dolls, they come with a back story that’s somewhat educational, and prompts interest and learning about various facets of American history from the perspective of a little girl. They’re very relatable in that way. However, the hoopla surrounding them – the stores, the accessories, videos, stickers, crafts, clothes, parties, etc., is COMPLETELY out of control, and the fault of the company for pushing it and the parents for giving into it. I am appalled that these dolls are over $100 and the clothes are ridiculously expensive.
I also have a personal annoyance about them. Last Christmas, we were discussing how expensive the dolls and their accessories were, and my SIL made the comment about how many kids could be fed with the money spent on these things. It took everything I had in me not to say anything, seeing as how my niece (her 9 year old daughter) already had one AG doll, and was about to get another one the next morning. I guess it doesn’t bother my SIL because she’s not the one spending ridiculous amounts of money on the dolls – she lets the grandparents pick up the expensive gifts. And if that’s not enough, guess who’s getting her 3rd AG doll for Christmas???
August 20, 2012 @ 3:56 pm
They are expensive and I agree the hoopla is crazy but that is as much due to parents falling into the trap as much as anything. If parents didn’t buy them the price would go down. Why is it a problem for them to spend that much on the dolls if that is what they are into as opposed to spending that same amount on any other toy or hobby or sport the child is into? My daughter’s gift of an AG doll cost the same as the remote control car my nephew got and nobody said anything about that. My daughter waited years and until I got a bonus for “santa” to bring that special coveted thing and last year her gifts were not nearly so extravagant but I look at that as my job to teach her that some things are just once-in-a-lifetime things to treasure – for her that’s an AG doll. At least the values behind the AG doll stories is good versus the BRATZ and other toys out there aimed at little girls so I’d rather spend my money there. Her doll came with one outfit and there was no way I was paying full price for the rest of the stuff from the catalog so we started scouting what we could afford – did you know baby girl preemie clothes on clearance for a couple bucks fit those 18″ dolls just fine?
August 20, 2012 @ 10:35 pm
Target has those knock-off 18″ dolls. Go grab one of those. And yes, preemie clothes do fit these dolls.
August 21, 2012 @ 8:21 am
Depending on the age of the girl, sending her without an AG girl could be scarring. I remember times when I was excluded because I had regular pens and not “jelly” pens or what not. I’d rather not put my daughter into a situation where she might be laughed at ect. I would buy the doll or not let her go. To be honest, not letting her go would be forgotten a lot faster than obnoxious peer behavior. I hate when parents think they can just do something because its cheaper or the “child should learn” they don’t always have to fit in before the child is ready to not fit in.
August 21, 2012 @ 8:25 am
Oh and to put this in perspective, I am 27 and have 5 american girl dolls and a large container of accessories. My daughter will have 5 without me spending a cent AND her daughter will too. We also have three bitty babies. From twenty years ago. My “Magic attic” doll that was $30. It’s long gone. her head fell off. I assume Target and TRU dolls will have the same happen to them.
August 21, 2012 @ 9:18 am
I think that the real point is that this poor girl that is having the birthday party probably always has less kids at her parties because it is in the summer. Her mother probably always feels bad about that and in an attempt to make sure her daughter had a great birthday she contacted Sally ahead of time to make sure at least her one really good friend could make it. It sounds like this mother would have even changed the date of the birthday party in order to accommodate Phoebe. If Sally backs out now the birthday girl is going to be the one who suffers and the other mother isn’t going to even know why Phoebe didn’t come even after working it out ahead of time. I simply would just call the mother, explain the situation and ask what the alternatives are because that is the mature way of handling things – doing that would give Phoebe the example that she should follow when she grows up.
August 21, 2012 @ 9:22 am
This is such a great discussion, with all good ideas and viewpoints! I like the idea of Sally being upfront with the other mom, especially so as not to leave the other little girl without her friend at her party, when she was specifically asked to come beforehand.
It’s tricky. I do think an American Girl doll can be a nice thing to have and an investment, something that can be saved and cared for and loved and passed on. But I do have an issue with girls being given them at younger and younger (and thus more irresponsible/immature) ages, and with the assumption that you’re going to buy into the whole magilla.
My friend Sally’s on vacation this week, but she knows I posted this — she’ll be so happy to have all this great advice when she gets back!
Denise
August 27, 2012 @ 6:38 pm
My daughter doesn’t have an AG doll and not for me not wanting to get her one — oh no. She wouldn’t be caught dead with one. She just is not a doll kind of girl. Her last few birthday parties have been superhero. That said, her best friend loooooooves her AG doll, and the assorted movies and books. They are very girl-empowering. So the BFF had an AG Doll party, and my daughter brought her teddy bear. No harm, no foul. Really, I am sure that the friend meant no harm or offense. She just wanted a doll party. Don’t read so much into things.
August 29, 2012 @ 6:37 am
Sadly, I inadvertantly did a similar thing when my now 27 year old daughter was 6. She wanted to have a tea party-not for her birthday-just a tea party where her friends came over and we ate chocolate sprinkle sandwiches and drank punch and played with her tea set. On the invitations I put “wear your party dress!” not thinking that any of the little girls wouldn’t have some kind of party or church dress. It was very common at the time for girls to have all manner of frilly dresses. One girl’s parents went out and bought her a party dress. I was so appalled. It was never my intention to force parents to do that or to make any of the girls feel uncomfortable. Anything she had in her closet would have been fine. It was just for fun! If I had it to do over again, (and I might with my new granddaughter!) I would say something like “wear a party dress if you have one, if not, fancy hats and boas and pretty scarves will be provided.” And I would go to the Goodwill and find the gaudiest stuff I could.
August 29, 2012 @ 11:46 am
I’m sure this was an oversight of the other mom. Yes, I am going to give her the benefit of a doubt that she did not realize what she was doing by requesting AG dolls to her daughter’s party. Seriously, does any mom strive to potentially ostrasize their child by subjecting the kids to a who-has-what contest? I don’t think so. I think it was a complete oversight on her part. It is, however, the responsibility of the invitee’s mom to make sure the other mom is aware that an AG doll is not forthcoming yet another cherished doll friend will be around for the party. If an AG doll is ‘required’, graciously decline the invite.
September 11, 2012 @ 8:11 am
I think you should take the high road. Let the party mom know you guys don’t have an AG doll and ask if it’s ok if you show up with something else. If she hesitates, then move on and don’t go. I think chances are she will give an enthusiastic “of course!”
The thing is…when we were kids there were no suitable cheap knock offs. So brand name was everything. I never had a real cabbage patch doll and you better believe I was keenly aware of it. My daughter has the Target 18″ doll and she refers to it as her American doll. She hasn’t quite grasped that the company is “American GIRL” so it’s just American to her. Hilarious! Anyway, today there are so many great knock offs out there for a fraction of the price, that I find my kids are not bothered at all whether it’s the real deal or not. Granted, when they get older it will probably become more of an issue, but I think at 5 it’s fine. Go and party it up!!
November 30, 2012 @ 2:38 am
So how did it turn out?
My daughter loves American Girl but I won’t buy her a doll. They are too expensive. I have bought her AG books and movies. For her birthday, I took her for lunch at the AG Bistro. When I made the reservation, I was told to bring her doll. When we arrived without one, we were able to borrow one for the afternoon. My daughter was happy with the whole experience
December 26, 2012 @ 5:12 pm
Don’t complain about the party venue. Either go and send her with another doll or don’t go and stop complaining. You can have your party at the Dollar Tree if you want to. It’s up to the person throwing the party what they want to do and friends can either go or not. I’m sick of people complaining about parties they are invited to.
July 11, 2016 @ 3:24 pm
Your response made me gasp- snooty witch. Your condescending attitude is the EXACT reason kids get picked on for not have “status-Quo” items. Put some value / integrity in your children (which by the way, starts with YOU). I can already hear your children “III have an American girl doll, YOUR’s is not a real American girl doll – did you get yours at the dollar tree? What a wonderful way to raise shallow children Shallow Mom. What a crappy condescending comment about the dollar tree.
January 1, 2013 @ 6:43 pm
Let her go and go to target and get an our generation doll. They are like $25 and they are just a cheaper version. Problem solved
January 2, 2013 @ 10:03 pm
Just an FYI- American Girl Stores have “loaner” dolls available in case a girl doesn’t have one, or forgets her doll.
January 8, 2013 @ 6:21 pm
just so you know there are inexpencive 18inch dolls like our generation and so on i would 100% let her go because you would not want the birthday girl to feel bad and dont want to make your friends daughter upset for nnot letting her go so i would bye a cheap 18inch doll and let her go
January 12, 2013 @ 3:02 am
I came across your blog b/c I’m looking for info on hosting an AG doll party for my 8 yr old daughter’s upcoming bday. She does have one AG doll which she received last Christmas. But she also has two or three other 18 inch dolls that she plays with and we refer to all of them as American Girl dolls. She knows no difference in the clothing or accessories and thinks of the dolls as all the same. We will be inviting her classmates to an “AG doll” bday party. I’ll make a note on the invite that the girls can bring any doll they like, if they like. But I think like on that party invite, the term “AG doll” is simply referring to the type/size doll. I know that we will be doing some doll crafts at my daughter’s party so the girls would most likely want to bring that size doll to make the items for. That may have been the same thing this mom was trying to communicate – not the brand name. I would hardly think that would matter to any mom or child.
January 14, 2013 @ 2:20 pm
FYI the American Girl doll stores have dolls to borrow for their tea parties and lunches.
This is a child’s birthday party. Hardly something to get enraged and furious over. Either send her with a different doll or let her borrow one from the store. I’m sure you could also find them in great condition used on ebay.
January 22, 2013 @ 3:17 am
I found this site while researching ideas for my daughters 8th birthday party. Great discussion and helped me to see to think more clearly and communicate more clearly with the moms/friends that are invited.
I would bet that Birthday Girls mother had no intention of excluding anyone based on the type of doll they have. Yes, she shouldn’t assume that every child as an AG doll, but lets face it, they are very common and prevelant as a favorite doll for little girls. I agree with the others, that she just is inviting the friends to bring a doll, any doll.
February 5, 2013 @ 9:13 am
Heaven forbid a child have the party theme that she wants!
I’m going to admit right off the bat that we are an AG family. My girls have several dolls each that they have either received at Christmas, birthdays or have purchased themselves. My 7 year old earned and saved her own money to buy 2 dolls in the last 2 years.
As for their price–have you looked at some of the LEGO sets? $75-$100 for a lot of them these days. Wii or other video games are $50 & up. While Lego sets will hold their value, they will be played with and pieces possibly lost. AG dolls hold their value–look on ebay. As others have said, they’re heirlooms.
It’s not difficult to call the birthday girl’s mother and inquire about the doll. We’ve had AG themed parties in the past and have invited girls who don’t have AG dolls. They’ve either brought another doll or borrowed one of my girls’ dolls. No one made fun of them, there were no looks & everyone had a good time.
March 16, 2013 @ 12:10 am
Like a couple of the last few posts on here, I found this also while looking for ideas for my daughter’s upcoming 8th birthday party. Apparently eight is a good age for this type of party, since the two of the above four posts were also doing it for an 8th birthday.
My daughter also wants an AG birthday party. She was not allowed to have an AG at a very young age. She started out with the Target 18″ doll to show that she could take care of it. She indeed did take care of “Jess,” and got an AG doll from her grandmother the next Christmas. She loves Jess and Elizabeth just the same. However, being eight, she also reads a lot of chapter books. She LOVES the AG stories. Her love for AG isn’t just about the dolls and the commercialism about it. For her, it is the innocence of an eight year old girl who loves any dolls that she can dress up and stories that she can read about them. There is absolutely no “materialistic” thoughts in my mind about letting her have an AG birthday party. However, for what we would like to do, the girls will need to have an 18″ doll. I believe all of them do and will check in advance. If not, we will make arrangements for the child to either borrow one of my daughter’s dolls, or to find a similar size doll or animal that she can use. To put into perspective how it is NOT about materialism and is about a girl loving her doll (regardless of brand), these are some things we plan on doing. We are going to make a tube dress out of adult knee high socks. We are going to make backpacks out of felt. We are going to decorate doll suitcases made out of pencil cases. All of these things bring together my daughter’s crafty side and her love for her dolls, while being frugal. She is very excited about all of this and the last thing she or I would ever want to do is to have one of her friends feel alienated for not having a name brand doll.
If the party was a mani/pedi party and they were told to bring their AG doll, then it may be more materialistic. However, sometimes girls just want to be girls and “AG doll” (like others have said) is just representative of a size.
March 26, 2013 @ 11:29 pm
Let me suggest that not being invited would be worse. I remember very few birthday parties from when I was a child, save the one to which I was not invited. It was a Cabbage Patch Kid party. I did not get invited because I didn’t have one.
March 27, 2013 @ 2:07 pm
I a having a AG doll party at home for my 7 year old and the girls are encourage to bring any dolls or I am having the girls who have extra dolls bring them so they all can share and everyone has a doll! Why would the mom having the party say no she can’t go!!!!! Not even that the partys at the AG store have dolls that girls who don’t have one can borrow!!!! WOW I never would expect that all my daughters friends have AG dolls she just got her first one this year!!!! CRAZY!!!
August 7, 2013 @ 8:55 am
I would like to put my two cents into this discussion. I know it is easy to have the attitude that girls with AG dolls are spoiled and to think they the dolls are expensive and how we could feed kids in Africa, etc. But it is all about what is important to each individual. If you think that is too much for a doll, you are going to have this attitude. But chances are you might not think twice of spending more than that on an X box or maybe a bicycle or whatever else it is that your kid might want for birthdays. Those are just a couple of examples and I do not need to hear about how a bicycle provides physical activity. You get my point. If a girl really wants an AG doll and is going to take care of it, why is that so terrible? I know many people who spend $250 on each kid or grandkid at Christmas. They get a large quantity of more inexpensive junk for Christmas. While my daughter received an AG doll, one other small gift, and a stocking for Christmas. I spent way less and am actually spoiling my child with fewer toys that will be collecting dust in a week. I assure you, her doll never collects dust and gets played with daily. Why the starving kid sermon for me?? Am I spending too much on my child? I do not think it is about the amount with some of you, but resentment that it is American Girl. Get over it. If we work hard, we have a right to enjoy some things in life and do not have to think of the kids in Africa every single time we are about to spend money on, say, a manicure.. Ah yes, a lot of women wouldnt think of giving those up, althought just two or three of those mani/pedi sessions could pay for an AG doll. Like I said, priorities.
August 7, 2013 @ 10:17 am
I would like to put my two cents into this discussion. I know it is easy to have the attitude that girls with AG dolls are spoiled and to think they the dolls are expensive and how we could feed kids in Africa, etc. But it is all about what is important to each individual. If you think that is too much for a doll, you are going to have this attitude. But chances are you might not think twice of spending more than that on an X box or maybe a bicycle or whatever else it is that your kid might want for birthdays. Those are just a couple of examples and I do not need to hear about how a bicycle provides physical activity. You get my point. If a girl really wants an AG doll and is going to take care of it, why is that so terrible? I know many people who spend $250 on each kid or grandkid at Christmas. They get a large quantity of more inexpensive junk for Christmas. While my daughter received an AG doll, one other small gift, and a stocking for Christmas. I spent way less and am actually spoiling my child with fewer toys that will be collecting dust in a week. I assure you, her doll never collects dust and gets played with daily. Why the starving kid sermon for me?? Am I spending too much on my child? I do not think it is about the amount with some of you, but resentment that it is American Girl. Get over it. If we work hard, we have a right to enjoy some things in life and do not have to think of the kids in Africa every single time we are about to spend money on, say, a manicure.. Ah yes, a lot of women wouldnt think of giving those up, althought just two or three of those mani/pedi sessions could pay for an AG doll and could feed a lot of kids in Africa. Let’s not forget those frappes so many people like. Do you think of the starving children in the world when you are standing in line at Starbuck? Like I said, priorities.
September 7, 2013 @ 8:41 pm
We actually just had a party at the American Girl store for my daughter today. I didn’t write anything like that on the invitation. All of the girls brought their dolls, except for one who forgot it. Her mother ended up going home and bringing it back. All of my daughter’s friends are into American Girl or Our Generation (the Target version) dolls. I don’t think that mother meant it to single out anyone. She would have had to write…”bring your American Girl, Our Generation, or any other 18-inch doll with you.” No one’s going to write all of that out. Even if there were a couple of girls who were friends with my daughter didn’t have an AG doll, they still would have been invited.
October 5, 2013 @ 10:24 pm
We are doing an AG tea party at a tea house. We already know 2 of the 12invited do not have an AG doll. Pondering buying them a knock off ( since only 2of them and walmart has My Life Dolls for 17.00) we alse have a friend whose kids each have 2 and are pondering having them bring extra to let them borrow… just thinkin ahead….don’t want any kid or mom feelin like this one did….
It is just that this is what the girls….and my daughter…. loves now. That’s is.
October 13, 2013 @ 4:16 pm
It’s a shame that we are turning little girls into snobs!!! There are many other 18″ dolls for sale….like “Our Generation”.
It’s the parents who are at fault….they allow this to happen!
The invitation should have said…bring your favorite doll or stuffed animal!