Some time ago we decided kiddo needed his own baby doll (as chronicled here)
and got him one. More precisely, my parents got him one. They were very
careful to meet my specifications -- no creepy blinking eyes, no
fake-wetting, must gurgle and make baby-like noises. They gave kiddo the
doll ... and he promptly rejected it in favor of kiddette's doll, which
he liked better.
Honestly. They're both baby dolls. They're both cute. One is in purple and battery-operated, so it waves its arms around, and the other is in pink and doesn't. They both talk (though purple baby mostly gurgles happily and pink baby cycles through gurgling to crying to snoring). They both have little hats. I'm not seeing what makes one more special than the other.
This seemed like it could be a bit of a baby war, except kiddette decided she liked kiddo's baby, so kiddo could claim her baby. And all was well in fake-babyland, except when kiddette forgets she likes pink baby better and grabs purple baby, and then kiddo flips out over the babynapping.
They're actually pretty good fake parents. Kiddo likes to feed purple baby its bottle because if you hold the bottle to its mouth it makes little slurping noises. Kiddette likes to squeeze pink baby's belly so it makes all the sounds, and then when it starts crying, she cuddles it and says "Okay, baby." Which is exactly how I used to comfort her, so it's entirely cute. Then they both sit on the couch with their babies and watch TV, which probably loses them a few fake-parent points, but on the other hand, I'm letting them watch TV in the first place, so I guess I get a demerit. Plus an extra demerit for corrupting little plastic minds as well as little real ones.
Then there are the doll-size strollers. My MIL gave one to kiddette to go with purple baby, but then kiddo wanted purple baby. I ran out and got another stroller for pink baby, and now they each have one. Unfortunately I forgot what happens when these kids are anywhere near something with wheels. So every day they put their babies in their strollers and race around the house. Apparently it's a multi-lap race. Also, collisions are not only allowed but welcomed. Because there is, after all, very little difference between a stroller and a bumper car.
How excellent for them that we had hardwood floors installed on the main floor. Now they can go even faster!
So adult conversations in our house go something like this:
"So at work today I" WHOOSH ZOOM HA HAHAHA
"What?"
"I said" ZOOMZOOMZOOM CRASH
"Mommy can you fix my stroller?"
"My baby!"
"No my baby! Mommmeeeeeee she took my baby!"
"NO MINE!"
And then we propose to table all adult conversations until kiddie bedtime.
I can't be sure, but I do strongly suspect that other children do not play with their dolls the way these two do. Truly I don't know how the fake babies are going to live to fake adulthood.
But hey, I guess this counts as exercise.
Honestly. They're both baby dolls. They're both cute. One is in purple and battery-operated, so it waves its arms around, and the other is in pink and doesn't. They both talk (though purple baby mostly gurgles happily and pink baby cycles through gurgling to crying to snoring). They both have little hats. I'm not seeing what makes one more special than the other.
This seemed like it could be a bit of a baby war, except kiddette decided she liked kiddo's baby, so kiddo could claim her baby. And all was well in fake-babyland, except when kiddette forgets she likes pink baby better and grabs purple baby, and then kiddo flips out over the babynapping.
They're actually pretty good fake parents. Kiddo likes to feed purple baby its bottle because if you hold the bottle to its mouth it makes little slurping noises. Kiddette likes to squeeze pink baby's belly so it makes all the sounds, and then when it starts crying, she cuddles it and says "Okay, baby." Which is exactly how I used to comfort her, so it's entirely cute. Then they both sit on the couch with their babies and watch TV, which probably loses them a few fake-parent points, but on the other hand, I'm letting them watch TV in the first place, so I guess I get a demerit. Plus an extra demerit for corrupting little plastic minds as well as little real ones.
Then there are the doll-size strollers. My MIL gave one to kiddette to go with purple baby, but then kiddo wanted purple baby. I ran out and got another stroller for pink baby, and now they each have one. Unfortunately I forgot what happens when these kids are anywhere near something with wheels. So every day they put their babies in their strollers and race around the house. Apparently it's a multi-lap race. Also, collisions are not only allowed but welcomed. Because there is, after all, very little difference between a stroller and a bumper car.
How excellent for them that we had hardwood floors installed on the main floor. Now they can go even faster!
So adult conversations in our house go something like this:
"So at work today I" WHOOSH ZOOM HA HAHAHA
"What?"
"I said" ZOOMZOOMZOOM CRASH
"Mommy can you fix my stroller?"
"My baby!"
"No my baby! Mommmeeeeeee she took my baby!"
"NO MINE!"
And then we propose to table all adult conversations until kiddie bedtime.
I can't be sure, but I do strongly suspect that other children do not play with their dolls the way these two do. Truly I don't know how the fake babies are going to live to fake adulthood.
But hey, I guess this counts as exercise.
At least the dolls are fake? Peter enjoys taking his trucks and driving them over the cats. Then the cats heave this cat sigh and look at me like..."Everything was so good in the Before Time".
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what my nephew does with his big dump truck! Except he doesn't have any siblings, so he chases the dogs because they're scared of it & one is really old & slow. He's not allowed to run into them with it, but it's so funny that it's a struggle to stay serious & discipline him. I usually have to put the dogs outside/in pen when he breaks out the big truck or the mower.
ReplyDeleteI think the hardest part of parenting sometimes is keeping a straight face. Because laughing only encourages the incredibly funny thing that they should not be doing.
ReplyDelete