The dutchkid really wants a Barbie doll for Christmas. We were walking around your average big box store the other day, and happened down the toy aisle (which I normally avoid like the plague) when she spotted the high heeled temptress.
And I’m torn. Part of me wants to take into consideration all those things a “good parent” thinks of… will it negatively impact her own body image? There are definitely studies out there that say Barbie does have a negative impact. Plus I worry about how young kids are sexualized these days. I mean, all you have to do is look at a rack of young girls’ clothes at any store to wonder about that.
On the other hand, I have many happy memories of playing with my own Barbies. And I didn’t end up with an eating disorder, and I’m pretty sure I’m in the safe “mom zone” of fashion. Then again, I was a beanpole of a kid, I may have ended up wishing for Barbie’s boobs, but I was already skinny (at least back then). What if the dutchkid isn’t so lucky? I can hardly think of any woman I know who doesn’t struggle in some way with her body image, myself included.
There are Barbie alternatives, like the Only Hearts Club dolls. However, I have a feeling that they won’t be as alluring as Barbie is, mostly because Barbie looks like an adult, a glamorous princess, whereas the lonely hearts dolls look like little girls playing dress up.
Opinions? Would you (or do you) ban Barbie and enforce the alternatives? or am I overthinking it?
It’s funny. When my daughter was the Dutchkid’s age I really didn’t want to have Barbie around. But it won’t be long before her friends are giving them to her as gifts. That’s how Barbie came to our house. I never made a big deal out of it, and my daughter hardly ever played with her Barbies. We even bought her the Dream House, but she just didn’t find it alluring.
I think kids gravitate toward the toys that fit them. And trying to push or pull away a certain kind of toy doesn’t really help anything.
Having said that, I put my foot down when it came to Bratz, but those aren’t around anymore.
I don’t think the influence of one toy can overcome the obviously awesome parenting going on in your house. She probably just wants to dress Barbie up anyway.
I had Barbies, and I don’t think they ever influenced my self-image. The issues I had with my weight stemmed from other kids teasing me. So I say let her have a Barbie, I don’t think it will hurt anything.
Give the girl a barbie. My two girls have played with barbies since they were little. My 10 year old has mostly outgrown them but still plays with her a few dolls. My 6 year old loves them.
Just for the record my girls are very outdoorsy, non-fussy type girls. They pee in the woods, ride scooters, bikes and get dirty in the garden. They wear mostly outdoor active wear clothing and my 10 year old will ask how modest her clothing is if she is in doubt.
I can’t imagine with all the other good influences in their lives, mostly lots of “we love you regardless” messages from their dad & I, that playing with barbies will give them negative self image problems.
Must my 2 cents, since you asked.
I had Barbies too. Most of the time, I just ripped their heads off and buried them in the sand box. I’m sure she’ll be fine with a Barbie
Our girls have Barbies and play with them together and sometimes Brandon will even join them. I played with barbies growing up and the image problems I had/have didn’t come from playing with them they came from those around me. We don’t get Bratz though because of the name (why would I want my daughters to have Bratz when I don’t want them to be bratz) and also because of all the make-up they have on and just their all around look.
My daughter had Barbies, but she didn’t play with them that much. She mostly liked to bathe them in the sink. The clothes are very frustrating to put on, so once they came off they never seemed to make it back on again. The only Barbie she won’t part with is the one my Mom gave her. It is a Barbie of my Mom’s from the 50′s. The hair is much different and still looks good.
The small accessories used to make me insane, but now I will take those over the little legos that are all over my house.
I LOVED Barbie as a kid and I did have an eating disorder. BUT, the anorexia didn’t come from the Barbie and I really don’t feel the dolls affected me negatively. For me it was more of a control issue. There were so many things in my life I couldn’t control – but I could control what I ate.
My five year-old son has three or four of them and loves them. It was the only thing he asked Santa for last year – “A pink Barbie dolly with glitter wings.” (Santa did bring it.) My three year-old daughter prefers baby dolls right now, but if she wants Barbies I (or Santa) will get them for her.
I say boo to Barbie because of her high heels and completely unrealistic body type. But that’s just my opinion. Also my opinion? The dutchkid is on her way to diva-ness anyways from what I hear. There’s no stopping it now…
I had barbies growing up, and I think I turned out okay–don’t ask Abs since she seems to have a differing opinion right now.
My kids had some, and through birthdays, etc., they have a ton of them. They used to play with them more, but they haven’t for the last few years. They aren’t any worse for the wear, and after the rattlsnake boots Em got tonight, I don’t think they influenced her sense of style at all. Junior likes to play with then every once in a while, mainly dragging them around by the hair. I’m sure we moved them with us, and you are welcome to them for the dutchkid.
I had the non-Barbie barbies growing up… they had “normal” proportions and wedding rings (for the ones who were supposed to be parents – no joke!). But when I went over to friends’ houses, I always was excited to play “real Barbies”. I think Karen said had the right idea – your influence will affect her more than one toy.
I’ll risk having my feminist card revoked by proclaiming that I loved Barbies, and I don’t think they did any lasting psychic damage. It took a lot more than a busty blonde doll to get me as nutty as I am now!
Last month, when my 5-year-old niece found the old Barbie stash in my parents’ basement, my sister and I were tickled to see her playing with them. So many doting elderly women of our acquaintance had hand-sewn and knit clothes for our dolls, and it was great to see it all again, decades later.