Do You Let Your Daughter Play With Barbie?

February 12, 2008

Invented by Ruth Handler and named for her own daughter, Barbara back in 1959, the Barbie doll has become an American icon. Today is the anniversary of the day the buxom plastic dolls with their eye catching and impossible curves hit the shelves.

While the mass produced boxed lil darlings have become collectors items, many modern moms feel they give growing girls the wrong message with their unattainable, svelte dimensions. If Barbie were lifelike, she would measure 36-18-38.

How do you feel about Mattel's manufactured masterpiece?

Poll Barbie

34 Comments

2 years 48 weeks

I loved Barbie growing up and can't wait to for my daughter to get a little bit older so I can buy her Barbies and all the fabulous things that they come with these days! :)

elephantheart 5 years 12 weeks

I'm sorry, it's "ONLY Hearts Club".

elephantheart 5 years 12 weeks

My girls don't play with barbie or bratz dolls. They have the Lonely Hearts Club dolls that are like barbie or bratz, but preteen girls with regular little girl bodies. That's what my girls are in to. There's enough pressure in our society to look a certain way. I'm certainly not bringing it into the playroom.

amber_castaldo 5 years 14 weeks

Barbies are fine - bratz are bad. I played with barbies, they were fun and I never thought about the difference in her body and mine, she was an adult.

Lilavati 5 years 14 weeks

http://gossip-style.blogspot.com/2008/02/fornarina.html - now these are pictures that make me feel fat and ugly, because the model is a real person (so why can't I look like that, right?). But you can't stop your kid from seeing these. Much more important than the doll choice is giving your daugter confidence and self-esteem, telling her she's pretty, and so on.

peepshow 5 years 14 weeks

I'd let my little girl play with them!! Just like I'll let her watch TV, and read the internet, and magazines- which allegedly cause poor body image. Because, remember, Britney was a good role model for little girls.

peepshow 5 years 14 weeks

Jinx 5 years 14 weeks

lol, I would like to take credit for it, but I can't. I've never forgotten it tho! Thank goodness I had boys! :)

Jinx 5 years 14 weeks

lol, I would like to take credit for it, but I can't. I've never forgotten it tho!Thank goodness I had boys! :)

loveallstar 5 years 14 weeks

lol jinx that was pretty clever. I just remember my boyfriend was against his neices playing with the bratz dolls, lol.

Jinx 5 years 14 weeks

I was going to mention the Bratz too. I would have a harder time allowing a daughter to play with those. Bratz = prostitots. :)

Jinx 5 years 14 weeks

I was going to mention the Bratz too. I would have a harder time allowing a daughter to play with those.Bratz = prostitots. :)

loveallstar 5 years 14 weeks

well they did change barbie's body a few years ago, the barbie that is currently in stores has bigger hips,waist and smaller bust.The bratz dolls to me are worse they look like porn stars( but the kid's love them so Id never say that in public)

Jinx 5 years 14 weeks

I played with Barbies, I had alot, I got all my sisters hand me downs as well as my own. I turned out okay. :innocent:

Jinx 5 years 14 weeks

I played with Barbies, I had alot, I got all my sisters hand me downs as well as my own.I turned out okay. :innocent:

macneil 5 years 14 weeks

I didn't play with Barbies, just wasn't interested. I had a big brother, so I liked lego and cars and when I was being girlier I liked soft animals and toy food. Boy, did I like toy food. I have okay self-esteem, I fancy myself quite a bit and if I don't it's for very good reasons. I like Barbies a lot more now because I love clothes. So I'd be okay with my daughter liking them, but the PINK aspect is a lot more horrendous to me than the body shape.

GlowingMoon 5 years 14 weeks

Sure, if she wants to. We could play Barbies together, as I still have my Barbie collection. :) I played with Barbies, and I turned out fine.

GlowingMoon 5 years 14 weeks

Sure, if she wants to.We could play Barbies together, as I still have my Barbie collection. :)I played with Barbies, and I turned out fine.

michellelane24 5 years 14 weeks

My daughter will be allowed to play with Barbie, but not Bratz dolls...it is just my own personal opinion, though...

lawchick 5 years 14 weeks

I have terrible self esteem, and I played with Barbies, but I don't know that they are connected. I think you could play with them and turn out fine if you had very loving, supportive parents who instilled confidence in you and made you realize you look fine the way you are!

Lilavati 5 years 14 weeks

My parents used to forbid me, but I could play with Skipper and the other more humanly-shaped. I still played with Barbies and friends' places. I just throught the Barbies were strangely shaped. No real person looked like that. The big disproportion between the waist and the hips was stupid to me, because pants were hard to put on and never fitted well. Same for the feet - shoes were hard to put on. The message for girls has nothing to do with it. Everyone knows it's just a plastic doll. However, when jeans are called "rich and skinny" - ekhem! So, I'd love Barbie to get more human, but only for practical reasons. On the other hand, I think she's so out of proportions, that no real person tries to be like that. I definitely wouldn't blame Barbie for anything.

Lilavati 5 years 14 weeks

My parents used to forbid me, but I could play with Skipper and the other more humanly-shaped. I still played with Barbies and friends' places. I just throught the Barbies were strangely shaped. No real person looked like that. The big disproportion between the waist and the hips was stupid to me, because pants were hard to put on and never fitted well. Same for the feet - shoes were hard to put on. The message for girls has nothing to do with it. Everyone knows it's just a plastic doll. However, when jeans are called "rich and skinny" - ekhem!So, I'd love Barbie to get more human, but only for practical reasons. On the other hand, I think she's so out of proportions, that no real person tries to be like that. I definitely wouldn't blame Barbie for anything.

lickety split 5 years 14 weeks

my girls have lots of dolls including barbie and bratz. the bratz clothes are just costumes, they have american girls dolls that look like they are from the 1800's and race car driver outfits for barbie. the bratz tv shows that i have seen are cartoon, over the top just like all cartoons. my 6 year old was a bratz cheerleader for halloween. it's "play". the bratz dolls wear fishnet stalkings and have huge heads, they are just pretend. if you go to stores like "limited too" and see the real clothing fro real 6 year olds there are some shockers there, lol. that is not okay with me, the pretend stuff is fine.

lickety split 5 years 14 weeks

my girls have lots of dolls including barbie and bratz. the bratz clothes are just costumes, they have american girls dolls that look like they are from the 1800's and race car driver outfits for barbie. the bratz tv shows that i have seen are cartoon, over the top just like all cartoons. my 6 year old was a bratz cheerleader for halloween. it's "play". the bratz dolls wear fishnet stalkings and have huge heads, they are just pretend.if you go to stores like "limited too" and see the real clothing fro real 6 year olds there are some shockers there, lol. that is not okay with me, the pretend stuff is fine.

JessNess 5 years 14 weeks

Oh yeah Bratz dolls are horrible. I can't believe that parents are willing to buy their kids that but complain about Barbie :oy:

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