adajohn010

        I picked this vintage glass display box from the 1970s at a local Goodwill. I thought it would make a lovely sofa table in our doll's house. Little ones can display whatever treasure they think their dolls would enjoy inside of it.

       I cut a clear plastic sheet, the same size of my box/sofa table by tracing around the top of the box with a marker and cutting out the shape  slightly smaller. Then, I hot glued the shells onto this plastic hexagon in order to keep them in place. When the dolls tire of their beach themed living space, their child mothers may change out the displays for something else like flowers or holiday decorations.
       Some parents may believe that the fragility of such a item will not suit for a younger girl or boy of three or four. However, I believe that it is good to give children six to eight years of age the opportunity to handle and care for some fragile items. Small responsibilities that can bring no serious harm to others but that still require special maintenance, will help grow an appreciation for property in your child. Once they prove that they can be trusted with small things, parents may then increase their levels of responsibility for other items in the home. The child's personal play space is the perfect place/opportunity to begin training them in responsible behavior.

• Kids Can Discipline Themselves
• The responsible child: How to teach responsibility
• The Importance of Teaching Kids Self-Discipline

        Try cleaning your dolls the way you clean your teeth! After purchasing these cabbage patch kids at a local resale shop in my area, I decided to give them a good brushing. These little figurines were so dirty and dingy, I thought that using a toothbrush would be just right for getting into those hard to reach areas. Then I used a dish washing soap for their yarn hair. I think that this experimental cleaning was quite successful don't you? Now my dolls look almost as clean as they were when first purchased!