Littlest Pet Shop - okay or am I missing something?

[KrisM]

It was brought up in this thread (http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=354744)that LPS and Zhu Zhu pets are "more mature" things for 5 and 6 year old girls. DD played with LPS at her cousins house last summer and enjoyed them and I picked some up at a garage sale to give her for her birthday this year. She'll turn 4. I think she'll like them, but now I'm worried that I'm missing something and I should hold off until she's older.

Can someone clue me in?

[fivi2]

We don't have any, but I don't see why they are a problem. We have Calico Critters and some playmobil stuff - which seem similar in theory. (I do kind of think the LPS stuff is a little creepy looking, but that wouldn't stop me from getting it!) My girls so far (a little past 4) aren't really into LPS or MLP or similar. The do play with the Calico Critters and Playmobil, but it goes in phases. (for a while they LOVED them, but not so much anymore).

So, I am not sure why they are a problem!

[Melbel]

I cannot imagine what would/could be wrong with LPS other than perhaps some parents trying to avoid characters/consumerism in general. DD1 loved them (not so much now at 8.5).

[Momof3Labs]

Neither seems like a "mature" toy to me. Though maybe the idea of collecting is more for older kids?

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

I have no idea why they are "mature". I can see not giving them to a 2 year old because of small parts, but a 3 or 4 year old? No worries....

[Melaine]

I was also confused to see them come up in that thread. I have no problem with them and have a stash for 4th birthday this fall. Not sure what the objection would be, although I'm not a huge fan of the big eyes. They older ones, from the early 90's were much cuter.

[Karenn]

I wasn't particularly thrilled to let "Pet Shops" (as 5 y.o. DD calls them) across my threshold, but that was more because they looked like another cheaply made plastic toy that was going to fall apart with a few hours of play than because they looked "mature." They are heavily marketed. DD is always wanting the Littlest Petshop books she sees at the library which only show her all of the animals she hasn't purchased yet, and still "needs." That bugs me. I *think* too, there is the opportunity to go online and participate in a virtual petshop world. That's not something I'm interested in my 5 y.o. doing so we haven't made her aware of that opportunity. The actual animals themselves seem harmless to me. I suppose I'd prefer she play with Calico critters or something, but man, those things are pricey!!

DD has had hers for quite awhile, and surprisingly, none of them have fallen apart yet. And, she does love to play with them!

eta: Melaine, you're so right about the older ones being cuter. I didn't know they existed so I was looking on ebay. DD flipped when she saw them! She'd love those so much more than the ones that they sell today.

[Melaine]

eta: Melaine, you're so right about the older ones being cuter. I didn't know they existed so I was looking on ebay. DD flipped when she saw them! She'd love those so much more than the ones that they sell today.

They were one of those toys that my sister and I both loved (we are 9 years apart!) I would sort of collect them, she would play with them. We still have some of them at my Mom's house and the girls play with them there.

[Momof3Labs]

They were one of those toys that my sister and I both loved (we are 9 years apart!) I would sort of collect them, she would play with them. We still have some of them at my Mom's house and the girls play with them there.

You were playing LPS in the early 90s? I feel soooo old....

[wellyes]

So THIS is the controversial LPS discussed in that other thread! I couldn't figure it out for the life of me, I even goggled LPS and Littlest Pet Shop was among the hits but it never occurred to me that it was generating all the discussion.

I can understand the desire to keep kids away from branded images/characters though. I don't really want my DD to know who Thomas or Elmo or Dora are until she absolutely has to (in other words, til other kids tell her about them). I know kids get joy from characters, growing up I had Strawberry Shortcake and Jem and Rainbow Brite and Barbie etc. But I just want to keep the grubby marketer's hands off my daughter as long as possible since I've WORKED in marketing and I know their intentions / goals. It's like a father being nervous when his daughter starts dating young teenaged boys... he distrust the boy because he was one once and he KNOWS.

[egoldber]

If anything, I think kids have aged out of them by age 7 or so. But my 8 year still plays with them at other kids houses and I know she's mentioned that some kids at her after school care have some that they play with.

I really had no idea that they were heavily marketed though LOL! We watch TV but we DVR everything and if we do happen to watch a show with commercials, we fastforward. But a lot of their TV is also DVDs from the library and Netflix, so that makes things easier.

[KrisM]

You were playing LPS in the early 90s? I feel soooo old....

Yeah, I googled "vintage LPS" and saw early 90s. I was in middle school, so clearly too old for these "vintage" toys. :rotflmao:

[Melaine]

Yeah, I googled "vintage LPS" and saw early 90s. I was in middle school, so clearly too old for these "vintage" toys. :rotflmao:

Well, I didn't say I wasn't too old to be playing with them. I was born in '82. I'm telling you, I was still collecting them at like 14 years old and my sister was the 5 year old who got to play with my collection!

[TwinFoxes]

I'm telling you, I was still collecting them at like 14 years old and my sister was the 5 year old who got to play with my collection!

For some reason in my head it was the other way around, you were the younger sister, and your older sister played with them! :)

I wish the OP from that thread would chime in with her concerns about LPS. I'm really curious, and obviously so are a lot of others!

[Momof3Labs]

Yeah, I googled "vintage LPS" and saw early 90s. I was in middle school, so clearly too old for these "vintage" toys. :rotflmao:


I was born in '82.

Still feeling really old here, lol! I was in college in the early 90s...

[egoldber]

I was in college in the early 90s...

If it makes you feel any better, I graduated grad school in 92 and started my first full time job. ;)

[o_mom]

Still feeling really old here, lol! I was in college in the early 90s...

yes... very old here as well.

[Melaine]

Sorry guys. I don't mean to make you feel old. I still have tons of acne, does that make you feel better?

[veronica]

Sorry guys. I don't mean to make you feel old. I still have tons of acne, does that make you feel better?


No, I'm older than you by 5 years and have a huge zit on my chin now :tongue5:

[Momof3Labs]

Sorry guys. I don't mean to make you feel old. I still have tons of acne, does that make you feel better?

Still get zits here too, sorry.