How to Play Fashion Dolls With Your Child

Wait for your child to invite you to play or ask whether you can join in sometime.

Let your child pick who will get which dolls.

Ask your child whether there is anything in particular the dolls will be doing, such as going camping, going shopping or getting dressed for a big event. Feel free to suggest some fun things for the dolls to do.

Expect to spend a lot of time dressing and undressing the dolls. This is most of the fun of playing with fashion dolls. Your child may express creativity by coming up with some wild outfits.

Know that you will be expected to move and speak for the dolls that have been assigned to you. This means you will have to remember all of the dolls' names. When you make a fashion doll walk, you do not move the legs scissors style. Just bounce the doll along as if it were walking.

Start a conversation between one of your dolls and one of your child's dolls. Play along with whatever scenario your child is making up, but feel free to add to it and embellish the story as you go.

Be prepared to have to do different hairstyles for the dolls.

Understand that children use dolls to help them work out emotions and problems they experience but cannot verbalize. This means the dolls may fight, say unpleasant things to one another or get upset. This does not mean your child is weird. The child is using the dolls as an outlet. Try using one of the parent dolls to express your opinion of what is happening or find a way for the dolls to work out their problems.

Try not to impose on your child your idea as to what the dolls should be doing. Participate, but don't control the game.