It arrives in our mailbox every so often.
I bring it into the house in all its glory.
An American Girl catalog has arrived, its cover designed to attract any young girl’s attention, its inside showing lovely dolls dressed in fine outfits with accessories, pets and coordinating furniture. My daughters are delighted when the catalog arrives; they peruse the pages, eyes scanning for any additions or changes.
And then….they cut it up.
First there’s a discussion of who gets which dolls. Then they go to work, scissors carefully trimming around each figure. Not long after, our playroom floor is littered with Felicity, Molly, Kit, and more in various outfits and poses. These paper dolls have many exciting adventures – most of which would never have been dreamed of by the actual doll’s creators.
Yes, were it financially possible, my husband and I could spend hundreds of dollars on buying the real thing; earlier this year, my oldest finally saved up enough money to buy her own American Girl Doll.
But in the end, I’m reminded of the child who plays with the box instead of the present that was inside. What simple pleasure is derived from some old-fashioned paper dolls and my girls’ own imaginations….and all free-of-charge.
Celebrate more simple pleasures at Tuesdays Unwrapped hosted by Chatting at the Sky.
Ah, that is a neat idea. Truth be told, I have gotten to the point where I hide the catalog each time it comes. Each of my two older girls have an AG doll which was a gift. But in my heart, the thought of a doll that costs over $100 pricks my conscience. Since we became involved with sponsoring children through Compassion International, where some of our kids' families make just $100 a year, it is hard to reconcile the two extremes.
Michelle,
I mentioned in a post earlier this year that my husband and I also debated allowing our daughter to purchase a doll that cost so much money. In the end, since she saved up her own money that she earned from doing chores or received as gifts, we decided to let her make the choice and she chose to get the doll.
It is certainly important to communicate to our children how blessed we are (especially compared to those in other countries) and point out the needs of others and how we can help, be it financially or through other means. I have heard some wonderful things about Compassion International and how their organization helps children and families around the world.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Have a great day!
Tracey
what a fantastic idea! my older daughter enjoys looking through the toy catalogs that arrive in the mail, and although she is too little to handle cutting and playing with paper, i will be saving this idea for the future! thanks for posting 🙂
great perspective! 🙂
What a great idea!
Aww, that is so sweet! What a creative idea. And I'm sure they get much pleasure from that! I had to click and read this post because AG dolls are so close to my heart. I collected them all…and their goodies…from age 8 on up to high school (every Christmas). It was a blessing and I treasure the memories. It's so important to me that as an adult I hosted AG tea party picnics for young girls with their dolls. I LOVE them!! lol
But, I also just adore this idea you have with the catalog. You are a good and wise mom. <3
We did this with Sears catalogs, only we decorated every room in our make believe house. I still have a special spot in my heart for gingham bedspreads. Size didn't matter, we put it all together.
Gloria
Love, Love, Love this idea!! My daughter is only 2 so we haven't begun down the American Girl Doll road yet. But I will most certainly be using this idea!! Great post!
Great idea and teaching them how to be good stewards in a way that is fun! Love it!
I love it! Maybe I can get my girls to do the same thing!
My daughter loves looking at magazines and "dreaming" of what could be. I will definitely keep this "activity" in mind for the next few years as she progresses into the world of "wants", teaching her how to have fun with the "disposable" and "free" things in life, rather than allowing the "expensive" things to collect dust on shelves.