
So the one be-all end-all toy that my daughter wants for Christmas is a Ty Girl. Actually, she wants two Ty Girlz (yes, with a Z) so that they can play with each other. She talks about it daily. I think the main thing about these is that they come with a code she can redeem on the Ty Girlz website. She loves toy websites and this one looks like a doozy.
Now, on a skankiness scale of 1-10, with 1 being Raggedy Ann and 10 being Bratz, I think these clock in at about an 8. I think they wear too much makeup, look too grownup, have heels that are too high, and wear clothes that are too adult for an eight-year-old girl to play with. Some dolls are better than others. In looking for pics, they look more respectable online than they do when I see them hanging from the display rack at the toy store, for some reason.
Lately, I’ve been trying to not underestimate Emily. Interacting with kids is like hitting a moving target. By the time you get used to them at their current age, they’ve moved along and you’re treating them like they’re younger than they are. So when Emily asked me what my favorite thing about Ty Girlz was, rather than give Emily a non-committal answer or agreeing that they’re awesome, I told her that I didn’t really like the Ty Girlz. She asked me what I didn’t like about them, and I mentioned their high heels, and that I thought they wore too much makeup. I had no idea what to expect in response to this.
She handled it with good grace, standing her ground but not getting upset. “I really like them. I don’t think they wear too much makeup. I like their pretty hair.” Good girl! I may question your taste, but I’m proud of you for not buckling! I also allowed that their hair was, indeed, pretty.
Periodically since then, she’s said, “I don’t think they wear too much makeup.” She’s still angling for a Ty Girl or two. I think she’s decided Santa’s her best shot. I’m undecided as to what to recommend to Santa. But I like that our conversations can be more complex now.
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