Freckles: Momma, will you play dolls with me?
Me: Okay give me a minute, I have to finish up something then I will play with you.
Freckles: ( giddy) running upstairs to prepare our play time....
Yay!
After finishing whatever in the world I was doing...
probably not important anyway.
I went upstairs to play dolls with my delightful daughter.
She was lit up.
We sat on her bed and started to give her dolls makeovers...
cute little hair-dos, using lot's of bobby pins to secure their buns and ribbons.
Freckles: Momma ... I love when you play dolls with me...
I am really into my dolls right now.
Me: I am so happy.
I hope you won't grow out of them anytime soon.
Freckles: What !!!???
( with amazement that I would even say such a thing)...
never!!!!...
You didn't.
*****
It was truly a rewarding moment to just simply play with dolls with my little girl in her room. It makes me think how our culture is telling little girls to be grown up. I see it in the clothing in stores. Everything is tight, low hipped made for a stick child who has no business looking like an adult. Little girls are learning to be grown ups (prematurely), laughing at the thought of even playing with dolls at the age of 8-10. I know this because I have a few friends and acquaintances who have little girls my daughters age and there around. They have kicked their dolls to the curb. Other things in their lives have taken over. What??? I am not sure, but it's not dolls. I too was a victim of this culture. My daughter may not realize that her very own Mama gave up dolls at a very young age so that I could be in the Grownup like scene... Oh how I wish I could go back to change some immature reasoning and decisions ( I robbed myself of that). I wish I would have stayed a child a little longer than I did. My sweet little, innocent childhood became corrupted with things an 8-13 year old should not have their minds on. I think it is a sad reality. Little girls aren't little girls like the bygone days of innocent play...not really so long ago. I thank God everyday when I look at my child... and am able to raise a little girl as she should be... simply a little girl who plays for hours with her dolls... who still loves to dress up, who loves to wear clothing fit for her proper age. God has given me a chance to raise a little maiden, innocent, sweet and has no cares in the world but to be just a child.
It is a blessing if children are given the chance to be just children.
You don't have to grow up too fast...
All too soon we do grow up... why rush it ?...
Loved the story you shared with us. My daughter was still playing with polly pockets until just about a month ago and she is in grade 8, going to be 14. It sure did my heart good to see her playing with these for so long. I stopped playing around the end of grade 6...still wanted to play, but the 'premature' growing up got to me...I'm glad it didn't hit my daughter but she just kept playing...
ReplyDeleteOh Mica, it kills me you moved before we ever meet. We think soo alike. I was thrilled when my Chloe 14, spent 8 months saving for an american girl doll. I have always fighted for my girls to be able to have a childhood. It is so sad. Clarice
ReplyDeleteAmen to your post Mica....I wish all little girls would stay just that much longer...little girls....with tea parties,dolls,dress up,playing house..etc...why must they want to grow up so fast and move on to such more mature things way to soon.....I grieved over growing up and being to big for my dolls....and then became a young mother at just 15...when I set up house some of my dolls were still with me....and I secretly played with them while my husband was away at work...I was still such a child...but,a very dedicated mother and homekeeper....oh,if we could go back and do things differently...I commend you for keeping your little one young and innocent as long as possible....she is precious and I am so blessed by coming here and sharing your adventures together...my granddaughter Jalyn is six and still loves her dolls very much...I am enjoying that fact and we play every chance we get.....Kalyn however who is ten as of this week has already moved on to other things....she does still however enjoy her stuffed animals...I sometimes feel like she thinks that is acceptable to others
ReplyDeletewhere as playing dolls isn't...why,do they have to feel so pressured to conform to the norm (so to speak)...it really makes me sad...your post today however has made me smile...thanks so much for sharing.....blessings to you and freckles....
Brava!! I'm 58. I played with dolls until I was 14-16. (It was kind of a secret thing after 14 -- maybe even a bit before.) When my son was very little I played with my dolls (yes, I still have several of them) with him. He liked the Barbie and Ken dolls because they could ride in his toy jeep. Now I have a granddaughter. She's still too little, but I look forward to playing dolls with her. Some of us never outgrow our love of dolls! Maybe if more women who still love their dolls would proclaim it (and I mean younger women than I, women young girls and teens look up to), little girls would not feel like they have to give them up to grow up. Then they would grow up at a more natural pace, instead of rushing into the false maturity so many girls have these days.
ReplyDeleteWell just so you know her Grandmother had dolls and played with dolls up until the age of 12. Then she had her own real life baby. NO you are NEVER too old!
ReplyDeleteLove you guys
This is beautiful, but so is Freckles and the way you raise her.
ReplyDeleteBlessings