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Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Is barbie really to blame?


Fifty years ago the first Barbie went on sale in this country. Since then millions of young girls have been able to play with a doll that was more then a baby who did little to capture a girls imagination and expand their ideas on what they can be when they grow up.

There is nothing wrong with being a wife and mother. I am one and I love it. But Barbie seemes give those young girls hope they could do more. They could be doctors, lawyers, business women and still be good mothers. Mothers at that time should have taught this and the foster mom I grew up with did. But many did not. They were comfortable in that role but their daughters were not.

That being said, there are those who say Barbie is guilty of teaching our young girls that beauty is more important than brains. Barbie did not do that. Parents who failed to teach their daughthers that they are beautiful no matter what they decide to do in life are at fault. Parents who take their baby girls out and shove them in front of stangers, to strut across stages and be judged by their way they walk, talk and look at the age of 4 or 5 are guilty. Parents who show disappointment when their daughters fail to become cheerleaders or homecoming queens are guilty.

Accept your daughters. Love them no matter what they look like and tell them they are beautiful even if you do have to cringe at the hair and piercings.

Stop blaming Barbie for the mistakes so many parents make.

2 comments:

  1. I think UK kids are not quite so much into the beauty thing - but I'm sure many manufacturers are trying to change all that, with their rubbishy toys and fashions that ape grown ups. Why not let kids be kids while they have the chance, eh?

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  2. yes indeed. Let them be kids. I like that idea too.

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