Parents of daughters - a question

[KitchenWitch]

Bratz or no?

I refuse to buy my daughter anything from that line...too sleazy looking.

[Left Is Write]

1. We don't buy Bratz.

And don't even get my brother-in-law started on it. His hatred for Bratz is a fiery white-hot passionate hatred.

Wanted to add - not only are they sleazy looking, but I do not find the name in any way cute or appealing.

[snacker]

2. I've seen them and I think

they are sleazy looking too.

[texanwitch]

3. I just did a quick check on Bratz, this is for little girls,

Sleazy is right.

[Fleshdancer]

4. HELL NO.

From the moment I was pregnant and knew I was having a daughter I made a strict no Bratz rule. I told my side of the family, my husband's side of the family and all my friends. Parenting a confident, intelligent woman in training is tough enough without skank dolls in the house.

My daughter begs because she knows she can't have them. I told her she could buy one herself when she was older and no longer living in my house. Now if she sees them she says "I can get that when I'm a grown up, right?" :D

[Kali]

9. Warning (or whatever)

I think my parents were the same - never got a barbie. So on my thirtieth birthday I arranged (ordered) husband to get one for me. I got Western Barbie and her Horse (the one with the pink mane and tail) Barbie and I were born the same year.

I think this in a funny way illustrates a lot of the driving force of the materialism in our culture - how many parents buy crap for their kids because its stuff THEY (the adults) want or wanted?

[Fleshdancer]

17. I bought Lego's for my daughter because I never had them

and when she gets old enough, I'll probably buy her a chemistry set for that same reason. :)

The Barbie story is hilarious. I can see Abby ordering her future husband (or life partner) to get her a Bratz doll because she was deprived as a child. :D

[Kali]

24. and what's up with legos already made into stuff

and collecting them all? Legos are supposed to come a brazillion in a container and you MAKE UP stuff to build - of course the anal kid (me) would mke the stuff in the pictures, but you built stuff, not collected dumb prebuilt junk!

[Left Is Write]

47. They didn't even have kits when I was little...

We had a big square sheet of flat Lego to build on, and we had an enormous box full of various shapes and colors of Legos. We didn't have a kit and an instruction sheet; we built was our imaginations led us to build.

[Dora]

66. Hah - my Barbie story is like yours.

My mother refused to buy me a Barbie, and one year for Christmas she "compromised" and gave me a Barbie she'd found at the thrift store (times were tight). The poor doll had a broken leg, and I was heartbroken. Mom felt so guilty about traumatizing me she gave me another Barbie for the next Christmas, but I didn't play with her much.

Fast forward: When I graduated from grad school in 2000, she gave me Graduate Barbie. I shrieked with joy, then wept. I think that Barbie now is in the bottom of a box somewhere: I've always chosen books over toys.

[tjdee]

54. I had a strict no Barbie rule. Don't work, LOL.

The grandparents thought I was being silly and feminazi, and aren't Barbies so cute! :grr:

Of course...if they're talkin' about a My Scene Barbie, those are adorable!

[Syncronaut Seven]

5. Ummm... No. You needed our advice on this?

;-) My daughter is deprived of all sorts of popular culture, Hasn't hurt her at all!

[KitchenWitch]

6. No didn't need the advice

Just curious about how my fellow liberals felt about Bratz.

[Syncronaut Seven]

8. Wasn't trying to be snarky

Bratz are fine, if your goal is a stable of little prostitutes of your own.

I find them loathsome.

[KitchenWitch]

10. I did not think you were being snarky!

:hi:

[coffeenap]

7. no--go for groovy girls--lots of colors and styles--none of the sleaze.

:hi:

They have fun accessories and outfits, skin colors and hair types galor, and very little mainstream appeal (which always made us happy around here.)

[KitchenWitch]

11. I love the Groovy Girls

[TimeChaser]

13. Groovy girls are great

My little sister collects them

[redqueen]

40. Thanks for the tip.

I'll look for those. :)

[tallahasseedem]

12. No way!

The first time I saw those things I nearly passed out. This coming from a person who lead a very eventful life before marriage. My Husband cant stand them either.

[KitchenWitch]

14. I also had an "interesting" life before marriage!

:hi:

[tallahasseedem]

15. LOL!

That is the term I will use with the kids. Certainly not anything to do with the fact that I liked to party a whole hell of alot! ;)

[KitchenWitch]

16. Me too!

:hi:

[gmoney]

42. Why do I only ever meet the party girls...

AFTER they've reformed and become responsible adults???!!!

:hide:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. My 7 year old son wants them

I'm trying to interest him in other things...

[Arugula Latte]

19. I'm anti-Bratz and I vote! n/t

[Beausoir]

20. I find them FAR less offensive than video games.

I think I may have purchased a Bratz or two over the years, always on deep clearance from Target or Amazon. My little daughters didn't mysteriously turn into little prostitutes, in fact, they have no idea what a hooker is. Only adults would poison their minds like that. Yuck.

If only parents would be so "concerned" about the kind of mindless video and computer games they let their kids play.

We are a video game free household and it's one of the best decisions we have ever made.

[TimeChaser]

26. Video games never poisoned my mind...

Actually, I think some of them helped with quick thinking and strategy. Oh, and don't forget those science games I was addicted to as a child.

[MiniMandaRuth]

55. Amen.

Just read a book called 'Everything bad is good for you' by some dude.

Not all video games are mindless shoot-em-ups.

Look at Zelda. You have to get a bottle to water the plant to get a bomb to blow up the boulder to swim to the other side of the gorge to fight the boss.

Oog.

My Mom and Dad make me buy all the video game stuff I want. I think it turned out good for me.

Plus, I do like all those school-type math and science games.

[Legolassie]

62. Zelda = most amazing game ever.

Can't stand shoot-'em-up type games, and haven't picked up a controller in ages what with all my APs... but I'm salivating over the release of the new game next year!

[BamaGirl]

21. My girls have had them

My Mom bought 'em and I bit my tongue. I wasn't allowed to have Barbies, but for some reason she thinks its ok to buy these things? Not having a Barbie was a big deal to me, so I tried to make the Bratz a non issue. They lost interest in them quickly, thank Gawd, and they are long gone.

[Debbi801]

29. Same here...

My daughter got one for her birthday and I decided that it just wasn't important enough to fight over. She had fun playing with it for a while and lost interest. She didn't suddenly decide that she wanted to dress like the bratz doll, or act like it. It was a doll.

[JVS]

22. No toys! More work! 18 year plan in 15 years!

[radwriter0555]

23. No, no bratz. It's just offensive and nasty.

I'm right there with you.

[lady raven]

25. I don't have a daughter, but I'd have to say no too.

I think they look skanky!

[Telly Savalas]

27. People who pluralize a word by adding a "z" at the end...

should be savagely beaten with a baseball bat.

Our little one shall be getting groovy girls for x-mas.

[latebloomer]

28. I must confess

that my daughter went thru a Bratz stage. I wasn't too happy about it, but I didn't think it was a battle worth fighting, and she quickly lost interest.

[Taverner]

60. You did the right thing

If you denied her, she would have only wanted them more - and perhaps not lost interest

[malta blue]

30. no way - they really are sleazy looking

Plus, she is not really into that sort of toy anyway, so I lucked out. She just wants power rangers and harry potter stuff

[Burma Jones]

31. No Bratz - but we don't make a big deal out of it

The general rule is that if the kids see it on TV, we will not buy it for them. Of course, the only shows they see are SpongeBob and NCAA & NFL Football and we mute during commercials - so the exposure is limited.

Good thing there are so few Lego commercials - we like the Legos......

[Trigger Hippie]

32. Oh, I hate Bratz.

I don't have kids, but my good friend refuses to buy them for her daughter. And this is a woman who is pretty lax on the strict child-rearing. I'm actually quite proud of my friend because she won't let her daughter have Bratz. I am so offended by those little tramps. :)

[Montauk6]

33. Never heard of it... does that make be a bad father???

[KitchenWitch]

43. No, just means you have not been exposed

they are very skanky looking dolls with fakey collagen looking lips and seductive clothing...Think Barbies Gone Wild.

[Montauk6]

63. Don't you have to be over 18 to purchase one of those???

Anyway, I wouldn't waste my money; hell, I get skeeved by an Aerobed!

[LynzM]

34. Nope.

And nope, nope, and nope again. 'Course, she's only 3.... if she decides she wants them, we'll have a chat about why I don't think they're a good thing to be emulating... hopefully they'll be out of the 'most wanted toys' by the time she is old enough, though.

[DainBramaged]

35. Bratz-pukey stuff for the young slutz-resounding NO

[jandrok]

36. No, they look too much like $20.00 streetwalkers.

We'll stick with good old Barbie, thank you. Although lately, my daughter has really gotten into the Groovy Girls. I like them a lot.

http://www.groovygirls.com/

[Ravenseye]

37. No f'ing way

Pfff, no slut in training stuff for my daughter, thank you. What's wrong with Star Wars action figures and/or Lego for girls?

Damn Skippy!

[LynneSin]

38. You're going to deprive your child of a Bratz "Spin the Bottle"

http://www.character-online.com/xq/ASP/ID.719/x.Bratz%20Spin%20the%20Bottle/qx/i_product_page.htm

Ages 6 and up

:crazy:

[redqueen]

39. No.

My daughter told me just this morning, "Sorry to tell you this mom, but I want (some bratz thing)."

Up until now she's learned by imitation. She knows what I think of the dolls and she has said the same. Today is the first time she's said otherwise.

*sigh*

[dolo amber]

41. When my daughter wanted them

I just took her to the seedy part of town and got her a real live hooker instead.

:D

[KitchenWitch]

44. Bad mom!

:evilgrin:

[Sugar Smack]

45. NO. They look like they're aspiring to be blow-up dolls.

ICK. :scared:

[SoCalDem]

46. Don;t know about Bratz.. Only had boys..

Barbie "helped" stereotype girls.. could these dolls do the same?





But I will tell you this..

How they dress will determine WHO leers/looks at them..

If a girl is 13 and looks mature, she will draw looks from guys aged 12-60 (maybe older)..

It's natural for men to look at young healthy girls, but as a parent it would creep me out to think that old guys were fantasizing about my young teen.

Young girls want to look older, but most are not experienced enough to handle the attention they may draw..

just sayin..

[Mutley]

48. Oh My God.

OMG!

I used to work at Toys R Us, and when Bratz first came out... oh the HORROR!!!

I sat and listened to parents complain that they don't like Bratz but they still get them for their kids because they don't want their kids to be left out. Whatever.

I listened to girls talk about how so and so isn't cool because she didn't have the boy Bratz yet, or her Bratz doll was still wearing LAST YEAR'S clothes. Ugh.

I went without all sorts of popular toys as a kid and it didn't hurt me any.

[SoCalDem]

49. Me too.. I had bikes, hula hoops, jump ropes & jacks

that was about it:)

[LibertyLover]

50. Bratz

Fortunately, my daughter is too young yet for Bratz - we're in the "Dora the Explorer" phase at the moment thankfully. However to answer your question - I wouldn't want to buy anything in the Bratz collection for her because I agree with you - they look sleazy and I really don't like the name. It's a silly thing to object to I know, but they are just so unattractive.

[gollygee]

51. eh

I've avoided them so far but I don't think I'll make it a huge issue if she gets interested. She's only 3-1/2 so far and she's seen the stuff but it isn't that big a deal yet.

I used to say "NO DISNEY PRINCESSES" because of some feminist ideal, but then I started to wonder if it's fair of me to decide what my daughter should be interested in. Now I have this perpetual inner turmoil over this kind of thing.

[MiniMandaRuth]

52. I AM a daughter.

OH GOD NO.

At least Barbie had some dreams and aspirations. These... things... have none.

And for one of their Baby Bratz commercials, I could of SWORN that baby doll had a thong on.

[KitchenWitch]

53. Thank you for checking in here

My daughter is 4, and I will never buy her any Bratz...now if she gets birthday presents or something like that, I can't control that...I will try and discourage her playing with them.

[MiniMandaRuth]

56. Yer welcome.

Always nice to talk to one of my favorite DUers.

[KitchenWitch]

57. You are so sweet!

:loveya:

[Left Is Write]

67. The Baby Bratz commercials made me want to vomit.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

58. Damn, they look like sluts!

But then so do most high schoolers. You deny her if she really wants them and it will just get worse. Get them and then make fun of them with her.

[Taverner]

59. I say get them - denying her these will only make her want them more

and she will spend her whole life trying to do what you tell her not to...

Trust me - My dad's a Freeper Republican Ex-Cop

[Left Is Write]

68. Fortunately, my daughter has never asked for them.

She gets Barbies and Wee Three Friends, and that satisfies her.

Incidentally, my teenage daughter disapproves of Bratz too.

[AlCzervik]

61. My daughter liked Bratz until the Bratz babies came out and she

then she gave the Bratz she had to my neighbor girl.

[southlandshari]

64. Oh dear.

I've read this thread and it appears I am a bad mommy. I'm quite certain that my daughter has some Bratz paraphanalia a classmate gave her for her last birthday. It never crossed my mind to worry about it, mainly because it joined the jumble of other dolls and toys that are totally ignored in favor of playing sports, running around outside with her friends, and drawing and reading when indoors. She doesn't have much use for toys in general, which makes me very happy!

If I give the Bratz stuff to the Salvation Army, am I a bad person, subjecting children in need in my community to the darkside?

What should I do? Burn it? Bury it? Help!

:D

[DS1]

65. A true liberal would give their child the new "My Little Compost"

playset, so they can bask in the miracles of biological breakdown while helping keep the earth healthy.