Growing up I was always somewhat of a tomboy. However, this never stopped the endless gifts of Barbie dolls, accessories, houses, cars and everything else that came with doll’s collection. Embarrassed by the girly gifts, I always pushed them aside. I wouldn’t be caught actually playing with them. Not me, the girl who is tougher than all the guys out in the play yard. I’d rather dig in the dirt for worms and go fishing than touch those dolls.

Tough on the outside, but when no one is looking, I loved my Barbie dolls. I really did and for some reason, even now I’m almost ashamed to admit it. Dolls were just not cool if you wanted have kids to play with, especially if you were on a block of all boys and no girls. The only way I could incorporate my dolls with play was when we got out the G.I. Joe figurines with their jeeps and used Barbie as road kill. But still, I secretly had all my Barbie’s that I cherished the most tucked safely away at home.

Over the years, I figured that Barbie didn’t have nearly as much of a presence as she once did. Then I had my daughter. Now that she is 5 years old, she is very much into dolls and playing dress up. The complete opposite of her mother. She has her Barbies and they are part of her everyday play. Changing their outfits, having tea parties and even trying to include mommy into the fun. I must admit that I do indulge from time to time and we have a lot of fun.

As I have seen mentioned in this blog before, I am so happy to see that Barbies wannabe competitor, Bratz may no longer be on the market. People complain about Barbie’s appearance and the horrible effect that she has on young girls concerning their appearance. What do they think of Bratz then? At first I didn’t want my daughter to have Barbies around the house. It wasn’t just the doll itself, it’s everything that goes with it. Upon the first want of a Bratz doll, I chose the less of two evils. My little princess did get one Bratz doll unexpectedly. At the airport on travels across the country, we stopped at a McDonald’s during a layover. Of course she gets her Happy Meal, mostly because she wants the toy inside. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that McDonald’s would supply my child with a slutty doll dressed in a mini skirt, pigtails and roller skates. At least Barbie has the concept of modesty!

I have come to have more of an appreciation for Barbie over the years since being a parent. All the dolls that have come out to try and compete with Barbie have been horrific to say the least. Even though there are some accessories that I would rather my daughter not have or play with like the credit card shopping and talking Barbie, I know that I can still get her Barbies that are just Barbies and she’ll love them just as much. For those out there that worry about Barbie and the self image kids are getting from her, think again and look at the world around you. You can’t protect them from everything and there are a lot worse things out there to worry about than your kid playing with a pretty doll.