AG-Bitty Baby dilemma for the holidays....UPDATE IN LAST POST!

[veronica]

I am posting for some honest advice with a slight dilemma. DD turns 4 at the start of Dec. With the holidays soon thereafter, there are a lot of presents.

Once per month, we get the AG catalog. She doesn't really know what the purpse of a catalogue is but likes to carry around her "baby book". Over the summer , during one of the times she had it, I made the mistake of telling her maybe Santa would bring one. DD isn't a very whiny kid and doesn't really ask for anything but has an amazing memory....because when you tell her Christmas is coming up, she says she wants a bitty baby. Not a problem, we can do that-EXCEPT DD DOES NOT PLAY WITH DOLLS! She hugs them once, lays them down and they sleep in the crib with her. That's it. No role play (we try all the time), nothing. She begged for a corolle doll from a local shop and I was thrilled to surprise her this summer with it-the doll has not been touched since.

So-do we break her heart and not get it (she refuses to entertain the idea of asking for anything else). Or do we get it, and pretty much waste our money. Or we can not get it and hope she is too distracted to notice with all the other gifts-except she won't have something "from Santa".

DD doesn't ever really ask for anything and isn't whiny to get new stuff or toys so it's hard for me to say no just because I don't think she will play with it. Is she too young for us to dissapoint her with Santa?

I would much rather "invest" in the bitty twins since they show more options for future play, but DD says no. I feel like with the the baby corolle, corrolle tidoo and the mon cheri from the summer, I already have so many unsused babies!

[hollybloom24]

I hear what you are saying. My kids never ask for much either, and I'd have a hard time not getting them what they requested, unless it was a pony or something!

Can you buy the doll, save all the packaging and it it isn't played with resell it on ebay or Craigslist? Or pass it on to someone else? You might be able to recoop a decent portion of your investment...

[egoldber]

Does she have stuff to go with the dolls? A crib/cradle, doll stroller, doll sized blanket, diaper bag with baby spoons, diapers, etc. I think having that stuff really encourages the play.

Personally, I think the more dolls the merrier . I don't think you can go wrong with Bitty Baby or Bitty Twin.

[AnnieW625]

We got the catalog last week (still have no clue how I got on the list; never ordered from them) and DD saw the Bitty Baby and said "Ooh mommy I like this baby doll." DD has two other baby dolls, gotten one for each Christmas since she was 1 from family members and she doesn't play with them much, but she also said that she could send back one of her baby dolls if she could have the Bitty Baby. I thought that was pretty funny. I was thinking of getting her one anyway in conjunction with #2 coming in the spring along with the Beco carrier kids can use with their babies. For childrens baby dolls out there I think that Bitty is the way to go, they are cute basic babies and from what I've heard they are really well made so it could last a long time.

[Melaine]

If it were me I'd probably buy the Bitty Baby (although I personally like the Twins better as well) and possibly sell some of the other dolls that aren't getting any love. If she is expecting it and has seen it in the catalog she may really play with it. But I understanding your hesitation. I made the mistake of mentioning that the girls might get "a game like mommy's" when they were watching me play the DS. I had the Leapsters set aside from a great sale but really should've waited another year to give them. Suddenly my kids have a great memory though and we ended up giving them the Leapsters for their birthday. In the future I will remember that they remember!

[bubbaray]

Another vote for the more dolls the merrier! Get her the doll she wants.

FWIW, my girls carry around the AG catalogs too.

[eliasmom]

I vote to get it. You never know when she is going to really get into it and there is *something* about AG that makes girls crazy for the stuff. DD received a Bitty Baby as a newborn gift and paid scant attention to it until I was pregnant with DS. She goes in definite spurts of playing with it. She loves the little orange kitchen set with the tray of cookies, FWIW.

[traciann]

Since that is what she is asking for from Santa, I would be inclined to buy it. I agree with another pp to keep the packaging, as it could be easily resold later. I am having the same problem. DD wants the bitty baby bathtub for some reason-even though I was planning on getting the crib from santa. I may get her just the bathtub since that is what she is asking for...but mommy wants to crib! Its her present though and if its reasonable and we can afford it, I will get her what she wants.

We have the bitty baby diaper bag and play toys and my dd loves both of them. They both get alot of play here.

[veronica]

Thank you to all the replies. I am really feeling support to get the doll anyway (which I was leaning toward). Like pp mentioned, she does have the whole rose petal cottage with bed, changer and stroller and none of it has ever gotten love.

Maybe the bitty would change that......

[citymama]

Let me know if you want an AG free shipping code, good till Oct 31! Someone had shared it on another AG thread and I just ordered some stuff for my niece and used it. My DD was interested in the website for about 5 minutes, but then got kind of bored. I'm going to make sure the catalog never shows its face in our home - that stuff is crazy pricey!

OTOH, my DD LOVES the Hanna catalogs....