Action men and Barbie

[moljak]

My Ds is 16.He loved his action man and built up a large collection of stuff which I have stored away.He suggested I use it for minding.which resulted in my DD saying I could have her barbie stuff too.

Whats the thought on this.Are Action men toys and Barbie suitable to use?

I remember a few years ago being told not in Pre-schools but how do we sit with this?

[curlycathy]

My cm friend has 3 older boys who donated their action men for the mindees. Sadly the last of them is now a very sick action man, who has a bandage round his poorly, dislocated leg and needs lots of cuddles. Not sure he will ever make a full recovery...

Seriously, I don't know if there is some ruling. As a parent I wouldnt be bothered - my dd is just getting into Barbie so can foresee my lot playing with Barbie before long.

[blue bear]

I have them in a box together labelled as action dolls, ofsted or network co-ordinator have never said anything, children 3+ love them.

[jumpinjen]

I loathe Barbie..... i wouldn't let one past my front door let alone let my child play with one!! I had them as a child and I always played that barbie was the 'skinny popular' one and Sindy was the 'fat nasty' one..... guess which category i ended up in at school???? (Hint.... not the barbie one!!) I just couldn't face the idea of my daughters playing similar things so won't have anything to do with them. My friend who minds has both in big jolly boxes in her shed and gets them out for the older schoolies in the summer (8 plus ish) but she knows my feelings so doesn't get them out when I am there!!! I have to admit thought aht most of my friends don't understand me on this issue!! I feel the same about Bratz dolls!

jen x

[moljak]

I have a 4yr old boy starting September with me.He's into Ben 10 ect so may put them out and see where he goes with them.My Ds is a gentle boy who liked action men, fighting games on ps3 and army cadets and what does he do when someone starts on him.....Walks away I don't see the problem in action toys, it's more about how we allow them to be played with.

Would love more views though please .

[singingcactus]

I have loads of action men here, and some barbie dolls. The kids love to play with them, they have some amazing role play games. I've never seen any of them comment on fat/skinny aspect though, but would just talk to the kids the same way I would talk to them if they were discriminating against anyone else I guess.
They have many uses, cna help create scenarios for boys and girls playing together, can create scenarios where the dolls help each other - sometimes it is the men dolls helping the ladies and sometimes the other way round, they are good for creating PSED opportunities, creative opportunities for designing clothing etc. I like the dolls, there is so much more to them than skinny waists and small round boobies lol. (although the ones with the holes in their feet make me want to cry - owie!)

[The Juggler]

I always got my barbies out in the hols for the older girls

[aly]

my daughter {3 next week}...loves her barbies....I owuldnt havea problem with it and i have brought them down for mindees now and again

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Sell them to yourself and use them. I have both and Bratz and Polly Pocket. Just watch the little ones with the small parts

[moljak]

like the idea of buying them.thanks Debbie

[Roseolivia]

I don't see a problem with it. My daughter loves Barbie (she's 3), for Christmas i'm going to get her Barbie things, i had Barbie as a child and it never did me any harm

[huggableshelly]

I used action man and barbie dools with the preschoolers. They went away for the afterschoolers as most were boys age between 7-13, I did not feel it appropriate for that age group to play with such dolls for obvious reasons.

I sued polly pockets too, as others have said, sell your toys to your buisness and claim it through your books.

usual common sense to be careful with the hair, small parts and be mindful of slightly older children's curiosity.

[jo f]

my daughter and mindee are obsessed by bratz i was exremely lucky and got a huge box full of freegle last week . They love them!!!

[janiefear]

My son is Barbie obsessed - should I be worried????? At the moment he's just turned 4 and is allowed to play with whatever he likes, we did but an action man to try to address the balance but it's still the barbies that he carries around everywhere with him.

His Dad is not so keen on the Barbie phase but as I keep reminding him, he is not a big macho man so just let his son be - Jacob will be whatever he is and I will love him for it.

Personally I think it's the adults that put the ideas into the children's heads and it's our job to help the children to challenge these.

Love Jane

[Donkey]

I wanted to get some barbie style dolls for the older mindees, they love dressing up and complain i dont have enough things for them...

mine have all gone (no idea where) so am looking on ebay and need to get to a car boot