Cabbage Patch Kid

Whitney Roberts

I vividly remember my first Cabbage Patch Kid doll.  My older cousin came to visit and she had just gotten 2 Cabbage Patch Kids– one boy and one girl.  They went everywhere with her.  My brother and I were instantly envious.  It was not long after her visit that my mom took my brother and me both to pick out our very own dolls.  We each chose a doll that had similar features to our own.  One of the most interesting features about Cabbage Patch Kids is their unique names.  I will never forget the names of my own doll as well as my brother’s: Gilbertina Jerri and Russ McKenzie. 

For Christmas, my dad built bunk beds for our ‘kids’ and decorated the beds with Cabbage Patch Kid stickers.  I also had a stroller so I could take little Gilbertina for walks.  I took expert care of her; I fed her, brushed her hair and put her down for naps.

Interacting with this doll was my first clue that I enjoyed children and wanted to have my own someday and possibly work with children also.   Now, years later, I asked my sister-in-law to buy my daughter a Cabbage Patch Kid doll for her first birthday.  We both knew who that present was really for!  My daughter is now almost two and already enjoys interacting with her ‘baby’- as she lovingly refers to her.   I guess she will follow in her mother’s footsteps.