Playing with dolls

i never liked dolls, my mum tried everything to get me to play with them, even buying me and my sister a cradle and doll, sister was happy she now had twins, by the age of 13 i had decided i did not want children, i fell pregnant at the age of 24 after being ill and my pill not working, i had my son and i was a good mum, did not need dolls to practice on as i was the older of 3 siblings. i think the fall in birth rate is women have more choices, they, don't have to have children, it is not as expected as it used to be, the uk average of 1 child families is now 42%. the cost of a child is getting higher and some people can just not afford it.

One daughter played with dolls.
All five granddaughters have played with dolls.
So not sure what that means.

I have always wanted children and have always worked with small children. I had dolls but was never really interested in them - think I wanted the real thing !!

I had two or three favourites but don’t remember playing with them after I was about 6/7 my two girls loved their Cindys and Barbies and my son his action men I remember my youngest had a cabbage patch doll and I think they had Annabelle’s or similar
My granddaughters don’t seem to have had baby dolls apart from when they were quite young up to 4/5 then barbies, polly pocket etc

DD and DGD(now aged 15) had dolls, real dolls, but it was not so much they played with them, as they made them part of their lives. DD gave them all characters and personalitites and told us stories about them. For DGD she took them round with her all the time.

I had dolls but really wasn't interested in them, I preferred playing cowboys and indians with the boys. My favourite toys were a collection of guns and a bow and arrows. When the hormones kicked in at 13 I dropped the boys' stuff and got interested in dressing dolls in historical costumes. Still not bothered about babies though. I hadn't intended to have any children but ended up with two. My daughter had a couple of Sindys but most of her time was taken up with gymnastics. She still went on to have two boys who both liked cooking but weren't bothered about boys.

I was happier being out over the fields or climbing trees but I still have my teddy

I was never really interested in dolls, apart from my Sindy doll, and that was only because she had a horse! Babies never interested me and still don't.

I never liked dolls much. Preferred drawing, colouring etc. My DD had one doll she loved. Tiny Tears I think and she was named Tina Mumby from some television programme.

DD had a large doll (German) that looked like a real baby.
A woman once stopped me at Heathrow Airport and told me off for allowing such a little girl to carry the baby.

I was never interested in dolls. Much preferred being up trees with my brothers.

Not that bothered with babies either, unless they are family.

I liked playing with all toys but they were thin on the ground in our house. So we made the most of all toys boys or girls.
Our DD loved any dolls had a gorgeous collection of them. Our son loved his toy trucks etc and playing with the toy kitchen.
Our three GDs love dolls too one likes to play with board games. They all have enough toys to open a shop. I like that they have the choice it broadens their imagination.

I have an 11 year old who loves dolls. Never the baby type dolls though.

I hated dolls and I have 5 children

One of my daughters was obsessed with her dolls, we had a house full of dolls and dolls prams, they were all named and all had their own personalities, she also had a few imaginary children. She started her own family when she was young, and now has three children.
The youngest is exactly the same, and if you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she’ll say ‘a mum’

I never had a doll, or Teddy. I much preferred books or games. What could you actually do with a doll?
I bought my daughter a pram and doll. She sold it and bought a toy typewriter.

DGD (6) has two baby dolls, which she plays with a lot. She says she wants to be a 'baby nurse' when she grows up. They were here yesterday with one of the dolls. Her brother (3) wanted one too so I got him my doll, which I got in about 1956. They both love playing with her, especially giving her a bath. Their parents aren't so keen, they think she looks a bit sinister! She sits with my old teddy on a chest of drawers.

My 41 year old daughter always played with dolls. She has never wanted children and had none!

We had quite a few dolls, but they were all characters in a town, with a King and Queen and Princesses ( we were small children at the time of the Coronation) and a Town Clerk, butcher, baker etc. We made up scenes of a play in bed after lights out.

We rarely played with the dolls as such( they weren’t our babies). We mostly read books, did colouring and jigsaws.

I had children because that is what you did, when you were ready, after you got married. I had no experience of babies and just learned as I went along. The first baby was hard work, as she did not sleep till she was four, but the second was a really easy baby. Two was enough.

My grandson at 17 months old was given a baby doll for Christmas.
My daughter had trouble persuading my grandson to go to bed one evening, he hadn't finished giving his baby its bottle 😂

I played with dolls until I was about 14, but by then my favourites were the cardboard ones with paper clothes that hooked over their shoulders.

I don’t think there’s a link. I wasn’t much of a one for dolls, and didn’t fancy having babies either till I was in my mid 20s. Once I had my DD1 that all changed though, and I think I’d have happily had a big family if space and money had allowed. Fortunately for the planet, they didn’t.

Hellogirl
I loved those as well, and they were affordable with my pocket money.

I don't believe that playing with dolls as a child influences the decision to have children in later life. I believe that the falling birth rate is due to wider availability of effective contraception, and to the fact that women have so many more life choices available to them today. Also, women are having their first babies later in life, pointing to decisions to establish a career, and perhaps obtain professional qualifications first. I don't see this as a negative trend.