What to do when DD's lovey is a...

[ha98ed14]

$100+ Madame Alexander doll? This was a gift from the parents of a childhood friend of mine. It was a lovely gift, but not something I would have gotten (or let her play with) at this age. But one day when DH put her to bed alone, he gave it to her and now she is hooked.

To be clear, the doll is soft bodied with vinyl arms, legs and head, so DD cannot break it, but I worry with all PP warnings about buying back-up loveies and making sure they get as worn as the original, do I really have to shell out $100 for another doll? Ugh! This girl has expensive taste!

[maestramommy]

Is the doll washable? If so, I might wash it once in a blue moon, but with a doll the only thing I would be very careful about is to not lose it. I don't think it'll get as ratty and gross as a lovey blanket.

[trales]

DD's lovey is our really old lab. He doesn't understand why he has to be locked in her room for every nap and why she drags him around the house.


I would just make the doll a house doll or bed doll only, it does not leave the room so it can't be lost kind of thing.

[maylips]

DD's lovey is a stuffed animal that was given to us before she was born by a patient of my husband's and I have no idea where they bought it. So if we lose it, we're screwed.

I will say that I think it's harder to lose a large lovey like our kids have, rather than a blanket. The PP has a great idea about leaving it in the house only; we couldn't do that because DD regularly sleeps at other's houses and won't sleep without that bear. I'm just very careful with knowing where it is at all times - that's the one thing I'll grab first when it's time to go.

Be sure to add this tidbit to her baby book - when she's asking for designer jeans and a huge wedding, you can refer back to this incident as the beginning of her expensive taste! :)

[Tondi G]

What do you do? You just pray she doesn't lose it!!!

[Fairy]

Since I was a baby, I had a Madame Alexander doll, She now sits on my dresser. But since day one, I slept with her (and a pillow that's still in my bed :-)), and her name is Baby Doll. Let me tell you, Baby Doll got quite a workout. I carried her around her her hair, so she's had a mohawk since I was a toddler. Her squeaker inside is there but no longer squeaks. I used her hands to wipe my tears. And her plastic parts are positively in need a wipee. However, I loved her to pieces. And whomever gave her to me got their money's worth. The doll's job is to be loved. I say go for it.

ps -- On losing it, yeah, that's always a problem. Somehow, I didn't lose mine. But I see the issue. No real words of advice,there. Sorry!

[niccig]

What do you do? You just pray she doesn't lose it!!!

And you search the house for 20 mins before nap and bedtime to find the blasted thing. I like the idea of having a doll bed. DS carries his around in the morning and the leaves the doll somewhere, we need to get better about putting it back in his room. He takes it to preschool for nap-time, and I was very worried about him losing it, but the teachers are very strict about loveys being returned to the cubby, so I know DS can do it, I just have to remember.

[s7714]

My older DDs lovey is a stuffed bear that my MIL picked up as a raffle prize at an show. It was brand new, but had no tags at all. I had no idea who even made the thing until she was about 4. My younger DDs lovey is a small quilt someone made (from the same raffle prize package ironically enough), so we have to be diligent about it as well.

We've always been very careful about where their loveies are allowed to go. We used to not let them leave the house except on trips or doctor's appointments. As they got old enough to be more aware, we let them take the lovey in the car, but not into stores. My older DD now occasionally takes her bear into stores, but she's old enough to understand the consequences of loosing him. My younger DD still has to leave her blanket in the car.

I'd just be very careful about where she takes the doll. I did end up finding a extra of my older DDs bear, but instead of it being saved as a emergency backup, it was given to my younger DD to curb my older DD's anxiety that her little sister might take her own precious bear!

[MamaKath]

I think if you are a bit careful of where she can take it you'll be fine though. Mine is doing great still after about 30 years, lol.

Funny story about a Madame Alexander doll... My dd had "Baby Doll" (her Baby Huggums) since she was about 6 months old. It went everywhere with her. Her daycare mom used to throw it in the wash even, it was always fine. One night after being at daycare, then visiting friends and going home we realize we can't find her. Poor kid is flipping out. We are freaking out! I mean she lost her very first lovey and we ended up searching down 3 more for the poor kid she had been such a mess a year or so prior. This one though seemed to be impossible to buy and impossible to find. We give up. She moves on with life after a few tearful days wondering where poor "Baby Doll" has chosen to go on vacation. Months later I open up my winter pajama drawer and low and behold I find "Baby Doll" staring at me, wondering what took me so long to find her. Who woulda guessed in a million years?!?!?!? Certainly not me, lol. :hysterical: