A couple of weeks ago I went looking for black baby dolls. Ellie being on my mind, I was in search of a good one, not too exspensive, to have for her here at home when she gets here. And one a little less expensive to send down to Haiti to her. Do you know I had a hard time finding either!!!!!!!
I was outraged!!! You mean to tell me there aren't any little black girls in America wanting a black baby doll to play with? Are we still coming up short in America? Still on this? I couldn't believe it.
I found one...ONE... twin set at Walmart and that was it! Any others I found were made of that really cheap plastic that if you hug it to hard it will crack. OR, one that is over priced in my opinion. I've been told that Big Lots has some. But I was just shocked that Walmart didn't have more.
Why is it so hard to find a nice black baby doll?
...sigh...
When I was a little girl, there was a black barbie doll I desperatly wanted. So my mom called the store to see if they had any. Mom said the store clerk was very hesitant and explained that the barbie was black. DUH! My mom just calmly told her that was the one we wanted. Remember that was the early 70's. I LOVED this barbie doll. I still have it today. In fact of all my Barbies I had, I ALWAYS played with the black ones, because I thought they were prettier!Jump ahead a few years. Megan my middle daughter wanted a black baby from Target ( yes I did check there for one for Ellie, they didn't have any). We named her baby Jenna. She carried it everywhere! That was 1999.
Last week Cathy and I had a fundraiser yard sale. The three days leading up to the sale I did some major cleaning out of the girls' bedrooms. They had to make some tough decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of. Low and behold Jessica had a black doll and said she wanted me to save it for Ellie.That same day we did some resale shop combing and I found another one. Yippee!!!! I need to make a skirt for it, but it is a really cute little thing!
Hopefully Ellie will like them. Heck I know she will. I will not forget her face the last day at the O in April. I was holding her and I saw a little Madame Alexander Doll on the floor (the ones from the Happy Meals at McDonalds) and picked it up and gave it to her. Her whole face lit up and she was engrossed with it. It was like she was saying, "What for me? Really?" It was too precious. Just thinking about it makes me want to buy her a whole truck load of dolls. Now before someone gets onto me, I KNOW little girls play with all colors of baby dolls. Ellie will have both black and white dolls, just like her sisters. I just wanted to have some that she could find a commonality with. Does that make sense? And yes, I did finally find one to send down to Haiti. I wish I could be the one to give it to her. I'd give anything to see her face when she pulls it out of the bag I'm sending.
...sigh... well I will keep looking, and someday Ellie will be home playing with all her dolls not realizing that her mommy went to so much trouble over all of them! HA!
Hugs, Kristina
7 comments:
It is crazy!! Definitely check Big Lots and the Dollar General. I have found them at both locations.
I found 1 black doll at Wal-mart. She's not the cuddle kind of doll - she's plastic with plastic pop-on clothes. Perfect for the younger ages. She was in the section with My Little Pony & Polly Pocket. This line had white, Asian, black, etc.
Also at Wal-mart & Target (& online) I have found black Cabbage Patch kids - both the baby and the older doll. They come with birth certificates and adoption papers. (The line of dolls was started by an adoptive mom who wanted adoption to become more tangible and "normal" to her child and their friends.)
Our daughter too will have dolls of all colors - ssooo, the shopping and searching must start now! We want her dolls to reflect not only reality and God's creativity, but our family as well. My husband is half Filipino, I'm Caucasian, our daughter is Haitian and my aunt has adopted 2 kids with Hispanic background.
My sister (as white, blonde and blue - eyed as they come) had a favorite doll she named Pat - after one of her nurses. Pat the doll was just like Pat the nurse, very black.
Welcome back Kristina! I too had so much trouble finding a black baby doll (although here in Carmel, I guess that is not too surprising). When I went into Indy, I had great luck at the Toys-R-Us in Castleton. They had a great selection. I was aghast though at how hard it was. I found this blog entry that has some good web links for resources back in November: http://www.hipmama.com/node/25936
When I was washing toys at the O in February with Bethany, we came across the doll I had brought down for Nata in December...missing it's head! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry :-)
You know they are coming out with a black Disney princess in 2009. Took them long enough!!! But i can see how thast doesn't help you here!
My sister lives up by Chicago and she has brought Glory most of the black baby dolls that she has. She did find her a black Cabbage Patch doll but I was amazed to find that the hair on its head was only around the outside edge. The whole center of her head is bald! I did get to practice my braiding on her although I doubt that it will be quite as easy on a live baby!
Hi Kristina, I have been keeping up on what is happening since you gave me this web sight. Congratulations on 2 "babies"! I have seen black babies and other ethnics at Toys To Treasure. Most are pretty pricy, but some may not be, it never hurts to check. If you haven't heard of them, they are locally owned, and they are christians. Good luck with everything. Julie Gerard
My very first doll, that I picked out, at age 4, was a black baby doll that my son now plays with :) When I bought it ... with Bday money ... I told my Mom that I was going to have black babies when I grew up. Seriously, I did! And I do :)
Love,
Jodi
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