Gearhead Mom

Monday, December 01, 2008

Mind Your Manor

Posted by Missy W. @ 8:43 AM

Learning Curve asked Gearheadmom to help promote its new Mrs. Goodbee Interactive Dollhouse by sending us one to donate and one to keep and review.  Sy did a fantastic job of demonstrating the spirit behind this toy by sharing hers with a family in need.  We are demonstrating no such philanthropy in our household by plopping ours in the middle of the living room as a pre-holiday gift and playing with it daily. 

We’ve had Mrs. Goodbee and her interactive faux-English accent in our house for a week.  Verdict:  my little almost-three-year-old, C, loves her Caring Corners House.  The mission behind the dollhouse is “learning social responsibilities that will prepare [your child) for the real world.”  The toy appeared to be working before I even got it out of the box:  Little C was clapping and tenderly telling her mama “Thank you!” at every piece unpackaged.  Yes!  A little gratitude! 

At first glance and listen, Mrs. Goodbee’s house appears a Victorian version of the Dora Talking Dollhouse, as it shares many of the same virtues:  The abode folds up nicely (Mrs. Goodbee is taller, but flatter), with rooms on both sides of the toy, allowing a few children to play with it at once without being tempted to veer too far away from one of the Caring Corners social responsibilities:  Sharing.  There are buttons to push that prompt songs and sounds (no Dora yelling here; that’s a plus!).  And there are multiple floors to the house and enough complexity, with parts opening and closing, to hold a child’s attention.
C is charmed by the songs Mrs. Goodbee sings, particularly the one about “Happy is a feeling, and feelings come and go; let your feelings show.”  But my five-year-old?  She’s had some moments rolling on the floor cracking up as she serially pushes the button on the dog bed that makes a howling version of “Lullaby and Goodnight.”  The sounds are meant to promote “Sharing, Caring, and Preparing” (for responsibilities), but they’re pretty easy to ignore in the larger scheme of setting up furniture in the various rooms and engaging the dolls in their own (considerate, of course!) dialogue.  The sink reminds the listener to brush teeth for two minutes; the toilet flushes to applause and reminds us that “one flush is enough!”; the fridge encourages your kiddo to choose fruits and vegetables and to wash hands before eating. 
Where the toy leaves off, the website is meant to continue the emphasis on caring and sharing.  The problem is, I am not overly excited to use the computer as a tool to promote social responsibility—or even fun for that matter—at this stage in my children’s lives.  Nevertheless, we used our Secret Code to unlock some games in the virtual Garden of Good Deeds as I reminded my daughters to Not Pound on the Keyboard PLEASE.  I understand that nearly every toy these days comes with a web component, but I would rather play with the dollhouse with my daughters than assist with the online games.
The toy’s upsides:  Lots of play space.  The fold-up bunkbeds and open/close flushing toilet get lots of attention.  The older sister (with brushable hair) and baby dolls are cute.  There’s a little storage drawer for the accessories that’s handy.  It’s easy to assemble, with only three pieces to snap on…
Downsides:  One of the pieces that snaps on (front steps) doesn’t stay on, but that’s okay, because they’re only decorative—and there are maybe too many parts of the toy that are merely decorative—c’mon, folks in toy design, let’s maximize play potential!  Many of the songs and sounds are…hmm…banal.  Mrs. Goodbee is heard uttering (British?) idioms such as “Well, dust my shutters!” and “Sweep me silly!” and the cradle’s baby sounds, cooing and crying, are a little creepy.  Finally, not much comes with this dollhouse.  Accessories include a swing, a chair, the two children and a dog (no adults to teach social responsibility save for the omnipresent Mrs. Goodbee!).  Other items are sold separately or borrowed from others, such as Dora, who contributed her furniture and parents to the Goodbee household. 
In a nutshell:  If you’re in the market for a dollhouse, this is a worthy option.  The social responsibilities aspect is a subtle theme at best, but the intentions are good—and the parent guides remind us of some easy ways to point out to your child the great big world of need right outside Mrs. Goodbee’s—and your—door. 

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