Is this really normal

www.worldvision.org.uk/child-sponsorship/

When I was Podiatry, a possibly 30 something came in with a beautifu lpink pushchair with every accessory imaginable. When an elderly gentleman asked about the baby he was told in no uncertain terms that it wasn't a baby it was a cat. !!!!!

Yeah but, it's a different thing altogether. Just because you want a reborn doll doesn't mean you won't want to sponsor a child.

I'm amazed at the number of GNers who know or have met women who have these 'doll babies'.
I heard of this years ago but I have neither seen nor know anyone with this predilection for regressing to motherhood.
IMO, it's a bit weird although I grant you, it must provide some comfort.

I'm amazed at the number of GNers who know or have met women who have these 'doll babies'.
I heard of this years ago but I have neither seen nor know anyone with this predilection for regressing to motherhood.
IMO, it's a bit weird although I grant you, it must provide some comfort.

Apologies for repeat post. Took ages to actually post then had to refresh phone.

Additionally and further to @sarahellenwhitney a number of care homes provide residents with dolls - not just those who may or may not [and how would we know?] have lost a child or baby in the past.
That is understandable. So should everyone who nurtures one of these dolls be in a care home?

GrannyLaine I see nothing wrong in collecting prams which may be worth quite a bit of money and using them for your, presumably real, DGC.
Much better than today's pushchairs imo.

ps I had a canopy just like that with the green lining for DD1 (and for the others)

I loved dolls when I was a child, thoroughly enjoyed the baby stage of my grandsons, and now I think I'd quite like one of these dolls.

I'm not nutty.

I still have the DD's dollies and must say that I enjoy dressing them when DGD has left (she always strips them of their clothes)
Then I arrange them nicely and tuck them up in a baby blanket, chatting to them and asking them if they feel warmer now.

but I wouldn't walk round town with one

How do we know these people are not giving thousands to charities to keep real children?

Having posted initially, I thought about it overnight and I can see some very useful therapies, and a lot of harmless love when using these reborns - which are not all ugly.

Perhaps the truth is that some of us are nurturers and understand and accept that people are free to persue whatever their hobby may be. [as long as no one is getting hurt]

Whilst others are persecutors and can't wait to criticise, ridicule, name call and stick the knife in the back of people who have hobbies that they refuse to understand.

Maybe if all the people who have a reborn doll also take out a sponsorship package for a real child perhaps some of the PP on this thread will allow them to be considered a part of normal society.

I wonder how hard it might be to take a reborn out in your pride and joy pram knowing full well that small minded people are quite likely to ridicule you.

I'd admire someone with the courage to do that.

WOW , what a lot of judgemental comments.

I'm 47 years old I'm married, have 5 children , 3 grandchildren and I am an Aunt to several small children and babies I see every week.

I am not sad, demented, ill, mental ???, lacking in love affection and I'm pretty sure social services couldn't give a toss etc HOWEVER I do have 6 reborn dolls and 6 retro, vintage and modern prams . I have always liked dolls and always liked prams so I take my hard earned cash and buy
them (and hubby is fine with it I wouldn't leave my pram or reborn outside a shop either they cost a fortune, lol.

There are (like many hobbies) different people in the world of reborn collectors and prammies some just collect one or the other, some have both . Those that just collect and display to those that take them out , those that talk to them, bathe them (silicones generally and they need to be talc'd as well, google away , lol) Some people may well be filling a void of not being able to have children , lost children or many other reasons, they are not harming anyone.

I like buying clothes for them, I like dressing them and yes I take them out in my prams I like walking the prams and its a no win situation because imagine if people like some of you on here saw me with an empty pram (shock horror). My GD age 4 , GS age 5 loves them as does my daughter age 13.

I haven't snatched any babies recently either .....phew.

Rizlett, I think you have it in a nutshell. I applaud your ability to cut through to the heart of the matter.

GabriellaG54 "predilection for regressing to motherhood???"
Do we ever stop being mothers?

oooh and I name them as well usually names Hubby wouldn't agree to for our children .....and sometimes I change the name and itdoesn't get confused at all because its a doll ! LOL

Reborn label came about because first reborn type dolls were shop bought dolls that were stripped of their factory paint and repainted to look more realistic therefore 'reborn'

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201903/medium-727201-svithun.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201903/medium-188709-elliott.jpg%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201903/medium-627494-evie.jpg%3C/span%3E

A few couple of mine

Oh good grief Daddima ? I had to stop the video when it got to the bit about the mouth that opens, with a removable tongue ?. He even talks about his "relationship" with "her". Now that is seriously weird.

Just off to tuck up Tiny Tears for the night, along with her twin and big sister.

I suppose that it equally could be said that the £1000 odd that many of us spend on holidays could go towards helping real children. I missed having a pram to push after seven years of doing it. I've never thought of getting a baby doll and pram to relive those days, but it obviously makes some women happy.

Conker Well done for posting in the midst of a flurry of seriously weird, judgemental posts.

rizlett too.

I posted initially with a knee-jerk reaction (maybe others did too?) which I regret as I had never heard of anything like this before and did, for a moment think this might be a bit sad.

Having looked into it, I found it's just like any other hobby and a channel for love, and how can that be bad?

Someone mentioned the reborns are used for dementia therapy, or just in elders' rest homes; also for prisoners to teach a sense of responsibility (and maybe a gentleness they've never experienced?) .

I seem to remember there were Tamagotchi a few years ago which had to be fed and looked after and they were extremely popular at one time. If the owner neglected them, they 'died'.

" her husband stayed with the pram if she had to go in a busy shop" How on earth does she get her husband to cooperate. If I want my husband to wash my car ( I suffer from osteoarthritis and other things) I have to promise I'll make him an apple pie. He never even offers to go food shopping to help me lug heavy bags so what hold do these nutty women have over their men?

Jaxie I think your post just about sums up the general tone of this thread. You have a husband who doesn't see the need to offer you help despite your painful condition yet you castigate the women the OP speaks of who appear to have care and support from theirs. Who has the problem here? Words fail me

MamaCaz

Surely we are all allowed a 'view' on this and should be allowed to answer the OP honestly without immediately being labelled judgemental. After all, doesn't calling someone judgemental show that its user is being exactly that, judgemental?

As humans, we are programmed to judge new people, behaviour and situations at all times, and be suspicious of / to question things that don't fit with our perceived norm. It is natural and important basic survival instinct.

Right now, I doubt very much that the behaviour described in the OP fits most people's idea of 'normal'. Given time, it might, but right now, it doesn't!