American Girl - And my girls

I despise trendiness. Hate it. Never watched Star Wars, haven't read Harry Potter, won't allow Barbie in my house. And I've tried my best to keep Disney princesses out.

This goes back to a little anti-establishment sentiment from being part of a upper-middleclass youth group where certain brands were all the rage while standing decisively outside of it and realizing that you weren't a more complete person because you had a Swatch watch. I went off to my southern California campus with not one, but two pairs of decisively not "in" purple corduroys from Goodwill. I'm quite certain I was known to some as "the girl with the purple pants."

I thoroughly and completely hope that my kids will all stand independently above the need to acquire things simply to achieve a certain status.

And so now we come to it. American Girl. Thoroughly the rage among my friends and their girls. And thus, I have been utterly resistant. First, the trendiness, as stated above. Second, the costliness. I am a big believer in not giving kids expensive things. Because kids just ruin things. Our furniture stands as a prime example. Third, I am not a big fan of dolls. I had a few in my day. I primarily liked naming them and then changed their clothes a few times and then they sat. So I haven't been big on the idea of American Girl.

But over the course of the last year, a few things have influenced my thinking. First, we have read several American Girl books (beyond the stories, historical supplemental material is available as well) as part of our history curriculum. They are well-written, accurate, respectful, and engaging. Even Ben loves these stories Second, I have come to recognize that quality in ideas and workmanship should be rewarded. Quality and trendy often go together but not always. In this instance, I've come to recognize the benefits of high quality toys for my children, just as I recognize them in footwear and jeans for myself. And my girls love dolls. Particularly Kyrie, who though she is spotty with consistent care (as she should be at 6), will go for hours rocking, feeding, changing, and having "conversations" with her dolls.

Lastly, I want to both encourage that nurturing instinct and put it into a context where she sees a doll not just as a "baby" and herself as its "mother" but she sees the doll as a friend, a person, with a story. These dolls have history; they were "born" into a certain time and place and their lives intersect with great happenings all around them. They represent real people, real girls, who within the framework of their culture, achieved all they could. It is a delicate balance, to uphold motherhood as something real and good and to be desired, while at the same time, teaching our daughters that they are women who can live full and productive lives, with or without bearing a child. American Girl gives them the opportunity to be little girls who dress, talk to, feed and play with dolls, while not having to be the mommy to that doll. They will always have the opportunity to be a friend, to nurture and help another. We want them to develop their skillfulness in that and find the joy in it.

So, while we haven't yet made this big purchase, it is coming. We are preparing. And I have come to terms with being part of the American Girl trend. Sometimes, the culture gets it right.