38-year-old aunt allows her kids to steal dolls from her 11-year-old niece because she thinks she's too old for them, mom takes the dolls back: '[Her aunt] said that her kids had a better right to the dolls'

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Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Dec 16, 2024 8:00 PM EST

Whether it makes sense or not, society has assigned toys that are developmentally appropriate for certain ages. I understand why an 8-year-old might get bored with blocks when they loved them when they were 4. Kids want toys that present some kind of challenge or inspiration, and dolls can be a great source of inspiration. You can set up their life, dress them, and put them into harrowing life situations that real people would never fully recover from. There's a reason that all the American Girl Dolls had such tragic backstories. I loved those dolls so much, and I remember being 11 and getting my 2nd and last American Girl Doll, knowing it was the last one. Society decides you're too old for one type of toy, and it's a sad realization.

One mom fiercely defended her 11-year-old daughter's decision to still play with baby dolls, but that didn't stop her aunt from trying to stop her. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10443082752
    via Tomasz Sroka

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    AITA for demanding my sister return my daughter's dolls after her kids took them?
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 03
    My (33F) 11-year-old daughter is really into dolls, specifically Cry Baby and Baby Alive dolls. She's not an age regressor, she just genuinely enjoys playing with them. Last Christmas, my sister (38F) and her kids came over for a sleepover to open some
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 04
    presents with us since their dad was out of town. My daughter was really excited about the dolls she received, but her younger cousins weren't happy about it and tried to take them from her.
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 05
    Instead of telling them to stop, my sister told me that my daughter was "too old" for dolls and that her kids deserved them more.
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 06
    I refused to give the dolls away and put them in my daughter's room to keep them safe. That night, while my daughter was asleep, her cousins snuck into her room and took the dolls. When my daughter woke up and
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 07
    noticed they were missing, she was upset. I called my sister, and she again said my daughter was "too old" for them and that her kids had a better right to the dolls.
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 08
    I told my daughter to stay at home, and I left to go to my sister's house by myself. When I arrived, I demanded that she tell me where the dolls were, or I would report it as theft. After some back-and-forth, I got the
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 09
    dolls back, went home, and gave them to my daughter. My sister was calling me a horrible person, and I ended up blocking her. So, AITA for going this far to get my daughter's dolls back?
    via u/erika_padaukiski
  • 10
    ObjectiveLanky6146 Nta they belong to your daughter. It would be no different if an adult stole something. She stole from your daughter
    via u/ObjectiveLanky6146
  • 11
    Two_is_a_crowd • 21h ago • Right! OP's sister is nothing more than an entitled thief and she's teaching her children that it's okay to steal.
    via u/Two_is_a_crowd
  • 12
    Glittering Fishing932 And it's so sad to see role modeling like this. So very sad. She is a person that you would do well to avoid from now on.
    via u/GlitteringFishing932
  • 13
    Draigdwi Probably she was the one who went into the daughter's bedroom and took the dolls. Somehow can't imagine little kids doing it efficiently. They would fall asleep around the same time daughter did if not earlier as they are younger.
    via u/Draigdwi
  • 14
    Broken_Truck NTA. The sister encouraged it. So, it is basically an adult stealing from a child. The family is setting the bar real low in this case.
    via u/Broken_Truck
  • 15
    No-Function223 Nta. Are 11 year olds not allowed to play with dolls anymore? That's all we did when I was that age.. that & ride bikes.
    via u/No-Function223
  • 16
    Apprehensive-Log8333 I was still playing with dolls at age 13. I stopped for a while but now I'm a play therapist and I play with dolls at work every day. I get paid to play with dolls, actually
    via u/Apprehensive-Log8333
  • 17
    calacmack Your sister can buy dolls for her kids - she doesn't need to steal them, especially from your daughter. She's an awful aunt. NTA.
    via u/calacmack
  • 18
    AlwaysHelpful22 What kind of person steals from children? — a filthy AH!
    via u/AlwaysHelpful22
  • 19
    EntrepreneurGrand101 Nah, you're not the a_h_le. That's your daughter's stuff, and your sister letting her kids steal it is wild. You did what you had to do to get it back. Good on you for standing up for your kid.
    via u/EntrepreneurGrand101
  • 20
    kittyyyteen You're definitely not the a_h_le. Your sister had no right to take your daughter's dolls, especially after you told her not to. It's your daughter's stuff, and no one should be messing with that. You did what you had to do to protect her things.
    via u/kittyyyteen

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family drama stealing kids doll dolls niece reddit story aunt family sister reddit thread daughter Reddit theft cousins children cousin baby
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