Barbie Dolls and Career Choices
As parents, do you think that letting your little girls play with Barbie dolls limit their career choices? I think that widening the career choices of children involves much parental guidance and not just reliant on their toys.
First published: April 20, 2014
A Study on Barbie Dolls
Recently, a blogger-friend of mine gave me a link to a Scientific American study showing that playing with Barbie Dolls limits the career considerations of young girls. Read about the study here. It is a good cautionary article, but in our case, I cannot exactly corroborate it. But I won’t dispute it either, as ours may just be a special case. Just take everything with a grain of salt. 😀
You see, our eldest daughter Dindin, who has turned five years old last month, has several Barbie dolls and the collection is ever-increasing. Blame it on the Mama, as I also love Barbie.
Despite playing with Barbie dolls, she has, for over a year now, been telling us that she wants to be an eye doctor. She also said that she wants her sister to become a “doctor who works in a hospital where babies are born”, so we presume that she meant that she wants her sister to become an OB-Gynecologist.
Parental Guidance and Involvement
While we let Dindin watch Barbie videos and let her play with Barbie dolls that match the videos, we also talk to her about the good values and principles of Barbie. Much like money and many other things, Barbie can be amoral. It’s how we use or misuse these toys that makes the difference.
Barbie may be sexiness overload, but she also exemplifies kindness, sympathy, gentleness, warmth, friendship, bravery, sincerity, and most of all, love for her siblings. Those beautiful qualities are being undermined just because Barbie is beautiful and sexy. Maybe what we need to do as parents is to point our little girls to this direction. And I don’t mind the kids growing up to be stylish ladies.
Barbie – I Want to Be a…
Additionally, there is a line of Barbie dolls that promote career choices. Dindin’s first set was the “I want to be a Doctor” Barbie doll complete with medical accessories and a young patient doll. Then she had the “I Want to be a Ballerina” doll. One came after the other and the rest is history. We have several of these kinds of Barbie dolls–all depicting different professions.
Good Values
The point of the matter is having a great deal of parental guidance and involvement. Even those kiddie videos that are supposed to be for children can instill negative values if taken out of context. And who knows how kids interpret certain things?
While watching a certain animated video, Dindin has so many questions. So in our family, as much as possible, we are there to answer them and guide her to the right direction. We talk to them whenever we can, like if we are together in the car, during family meal times, and before going to sleep.
As much as we can (though it is not perfect), we do not use the videos as a babysitter. We try to sit with her and discuss what she has watched and how she may apply it in life. If it is a new video, I watch it with her so that I know what goes on in there. It also helps that we do not have cable connection or even local channels in our bedroom TV so we get to choose the videos that Dindin watches.
Healthy Mixture
Dindin likes pretend play and cos-play. Each year during her birthday, she wears the “simplified” costume of a certain character (simplified because I do not really buy—we make do). We haven’t let her identify with a single character so that she will become a well-rounded individual.
We let her watch different shows and we collect character toys for every show—Barbie, Barney, Ni Hao Kai Lan, Wonder Pets, Dora and Diego, Strawberry Shortcake, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Tinkerbell, Elmo, even the Disney Princesses (though I discourage her from watching Aurora and Snow White because of the ridiculous storyline). Yes, she has a complete set of the toy characters. We also have books inspired by these shows.
Educational Videos
But aside from these, she was exposed to educational videos like Leap Frog, Signing Time, Brainy Baby, Baby Einstein, Little Einsteins, Word World as well as the educational/entertainment children’s show Hi-5. Oh we had a lot of Hi-5 inspired playtime in the past! And most of all, we are Christians who believe in the Holy Trinity and the bible and so Dindin also watches Veggie Tales and Super Book. We let her attend Sunday School and the DVBS during summer, too.
Aside from the dolls and stuffed toys, Dindin has a doctor set, a cross-section of a man that opens up to reveal internal organs, clay dough, toy musical instruments and a real guitar, as well as toy cars and trucks, a garage, a race track, and carpentry tools.
We did not label cars and tools as “toys for boys” because first, eventually she will have to learn to drive, and second, the tools teach her that things or items are made and not just bought from stores. She makes chairs, beds, benches, and cars for her dolls from her tools. So for us, these are unisex toys for kids.
And with each show or toy or book, we are there to answer her questions or to correct her gently if the opinion she has formed is something that we feel is not right or edifying to herself or other people.
Inquisitiveness
Dindin can be very inquisitive, like any toddler/preschooler. And I can get tired because of her incessant questions and bantering. Sometimes, I do silence her just to have some peace and quiet because one answer always leads to another question. She doesn’t take naps so that means it can go on the whole day! We are homeschooling in Bacolod so the brunt of answering her questions usually falls on me.
Answering Questions
But as much as I can, I try to answer her. Aside from correcting any wrong value or principle, I want us to have an open line of communication especially when she reaches puberty. This is the time when a lot of teenagers clam up to their parents and would rather talk to peers. I would like to avoid that as much as possible.
So in conclusion, I don’t think that totally rejecting certain toys or shows will be the answer to raising good, godly, and responsible adults. I still think it is parental guidance and involvement. Barbie is not just about BEAUTY and VANITY — two things that we think are shallow. I think that Barbie is not the real enemy, but apathy and parental detachment are.
Physical Activities
All I am advocating is a good mixture of play—rough physical, fine motor, creative, pretend, mental, and even psychological. One example is trampoline bouncing. They just love to jump!
We do not really follow a strict regimen but we are strict on obedience. We just try to remember that for kids, their main occupation is play—but with much guidance from parents.
Conclusion
More than students who excel in academics, we would like to see our children excel in their chosen fields. These are the paths that they are passionate about.
As parents, would like to see them affect the city, or even the world, positively. We would like to see them empathize with other’s problems. It would be awesome if they were to find solutions and become entrepreneurs. We would like to see them as decision-makers guided by wisdom, values, and Godly principles. And more importantly, we would like them to LOVE.
wow nice review
nice review
I encourage my kids with outdoor activities and let them do what they want as we guided them.
Wow! dami naman toys ni Dindin.
Thank you for the giveaway
we should always watch our kids especially their activities,there are lot of new things that they are dicovering that need supervision and explanation
Great points, and I’m with you! I honestly think a child’s career choice has A LOT to do with how you guide and introduce your child to different kinds of toys and forms of play (and all other aspects of his/her life), and of course his/her very own interests! And it’s quite absurd to put the blame to a toy; proper guidance is a parent’s duty after all.
It is still best that we parents should guide our children especially nowadays the environment is not so safe and the technology is very modern.
I don’t think it will limit a child’s career choices. I myself was an avid barbie doll kid also but it did not affect my choices.
I totally agree with you. Guidance is really needed. I also strongly believe that the most important thing that parents can do for their children is for them to deepen their relationship with the Lord so they may lead their children to Jesus. 🙂 Having a deep and genuine relationship with Jesus will allow us to have a new mindset and godly perspective in life. 🙂
Guidance from the parents indeed plays a big role on their children’s growth and improvement. I strongly believe that parents should deepen their relationship with the Lord for them to lead their children to Jesus. This is the best guidance that they can give, for they will have a new mindset and godly perspective in life.
close supervision on our kids is really needed for them to grow well
I, too, don’t think that if you give a child a particular toy, you will be limiting his career choices with those he/she played with. I agree that parents should play with their children (introduce different kinds of role-playing, singing, acting, play-driving, cooking, etc.) so they learn all their potentials and talents, which will later help them choose which career is best for them.
Very well said! Parental guidance is always a must!
As a mom, for raising daughters/sons (children) of characters demands time and effort. Spending time like reading story before sleeping at night will help the child to develop love for words. Having family mealtime that should everyone communicate and sustain ideals that children will draw on throughout their lives. Encourage our child to develop their skills and talent. Learn to listen to our children so that they can express themselves and teach them good manners and teach our children to be grateful.
You just have to be really involved to your child’s activities. Having fun while learning.
nice article
Guidance from parents indeed plays a big role on our children’s growth and improvement & it started at home. I let my son play indoor & outdoor activities to boost his confidence & discover new things and at the same time gain more friends. I let him discover his talents & try ourselves to enhance it. 🙂
child’s career choices is a good idea because it will help them to develop their ability to do things and give them knowledge about different things to do.
I let me son play with anything his heart desires.
yes i agree to you guidance is really needed of our kids !
For me, playing Barbie dolls will not limit career choices, hence it will help her build here imagination. And besides, kids are kids, they should enjoy their life while still young. As mothers’ need to guide them while playing and playing can be educational too but it depends on someone who will guide them.
I don’t think toys have anything to do with career choices, but we don’t have Barbies simply because I don’t like them.
Thank you for your honesty. It’s all about the preference, right? Both of the parents and children. 😀
I didn’t really play with barbies much as a kid but I do get how playing with them a lot would make kids focus more on the aesthetics of being a girl x
It depends on the guidance of the parents. Our kids are not much on the aesthetics but rather on what Barbie can do. 🙂
I think this is such an interesting post indeed. Everything involvement you have with your children will shape who they turn out to be, even play. It really looks like she is having a lot of fun with her Barbie dolls. You have taught her well.
I totally agree with you. Guidance from the parents indeed plays a big role on their children’s growth and improvement, and of course, their career choices. Whether they play with Barbie or not.
This has been an interesting read. For me, I’d just tap on a child’s interest – whatever field that is. The most important thing is to really provide guidance to your child.
This is a wonderful post. My wife and I always encouraged our children to accomplish their own dreams, whatever they may be. We never wanted to limit them in any aspect of life. I’m very thankful they are now grown with their own children =).
My daughter is very curious too, forever asking questions. She loves Barbie dolls. Our house is filled with them.
I have always admired your parenting style and I have personally seen how the kids had become well-rounded. You are an inspiration. Can’t wait to read more of your stories.
I know for a fact, because they are still in the garage, that my dear wife loved playing with Barbies. She now manages a $100 million-plus retail operation. Doesn’t look like Barbies did her any harm.
What a great example John! So true. 😀
Interesting post and I do agree that parents should guide their children, whether they play with Barbie dolls or not. Ultimately children’s career choices will change as they get older and it’s a parents job to support them and you guys are doing a great job with your little ones.
It’s so important for us to equip our daughters for their career choices. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in pointing out these great tips! Barbie dolls may or may not influence them. It really depends on our parenting.