A Doll for Christmas

Every little girl wants a doll for Christmas. They may not tell you. If they were raised a certain way, they may not even dare to tell you. They may have ambitions to be stockbrokers, scientists, race car drivers or astronauts. It doesn't matter. Every girl secretly longs for a doll. Gratify that wish, and you will see true delight on her face come Christmas morning.

Baby dolls are for little toddlers who have barely escaped babyhood themselves. Barbie dolls are for role playing and play acting about being a "womanly woman". But a little girl doll represents someone that a girl can mother. Little girl dolls are beautiful, but they are also child-like. They are not meant to fuel a preteen's dream of becoming a supermodel. Instead, they help her to view her own life as a little girl from a slightly different perspective. To the extent that they prepare her for anything, it is to one day be a mother to a child of her own. So my recommendation is to choose wisely: a beautiful, exquisite little girl doll.

At times your child will identify with her girl doll. At times she will identify with her own mother, as she plays the mother role. The proper little girl doll is tastefully attired and has a special personality all her own.

American girl dolls each comes with a book, and each is meant to represent a specific period in American history. Giving an American Girl doll is like giving both a toy and a book. There is much to recommend these dolls, especially those that come in delicately crafted period costumes.

The body image problem that is present with many dolls is not an issue with American Girl dolls. The dolls are pretty, but they each have a plump face and wrists and ankles that are a trifle on the thick side. This helps the average girl identify with her doll, and it will not contribute to anorexia among little girls who still carry some normal babyfat.

If you are looking for a less expensive alternative to American Girl dolls, consider investing in a Gotz doll. Proportioned like an American Girl, and manufactured by the company that used to make the American Girl collection, this is a less pricey alternative, but of the highest quality. However, the Gotz dolls do not come with a book.

An even less expensive alternative to both the American Girl and Gotz dolls are the Corolle series of dolls originating in France. These little girl dolls have alluring personalities, are posable and beautifully dressed, and they cost a great deal less.

While the Corolle dolls have a little girl body, the average little girl that they represent is French, and hence, while her cheeks may be full,  she has a longer neck and slimmer wrists and ankles than an American Girl doll.  For a little girl with no body image problems, these are beautiful, imaginative choices.

Especially adorable in the Corolle line is the new addition, Licorice, pictured below.

Beatrice Alexander Behrman is the embodiment of the American success story. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1895 to Russian immigrants, she grew up in the apartment above her father's doll hospital, where he repaired broken dolls. In 1923 she fulfilled her dream of creating beautiful, handcrafted dolls for little girls to actually play with. In those days, beautiful porcelain dolls were too fragile to play with, and most little girls had to make do with rag dolls, while the really pretty dolls had to be put on a shelf for display only. Madame Alexander changed all that.

Priced quite reasonably, a little higher than a Corolle doll, but much lower than an American Girl, a Madame Alexander doll is a very good choice.

Whatever doll you do eventually select should be pretty enough to make your little girl hold her breath at the sight of her, but rugged enough to withstand years of challenging play. Most of the dolls described in this article are appropriate for ages five to ten, and they should be strong enough to last the entire five years and beyond. After your little girl outgrows playing with her doll, she will still want to display her on a high shelf, and one day she may have a little girl of her own to give it to. When you buy a doll, it is for more than one lifetime, so make your selection wisely!

Copyright Medora Trevilian