Embracing Barbie to embrace self esteem…
arun on Feb 17 2007 at 10:27 am | Filed under: *favourites*, empowerment & trust, others wisdom | Click here to go HOME | or find out about SUBSCRIBING TO THE PIT |
As a child I was taught that fashion and all it entails was “wordly” and that Barbie stuff promoted low self esteem. Baloney! What promoted low self esteem was being told my interests weren’t worthy.
– Ren Allen, unschooling mum.
It feels bizarre now. Just several months ago before we started on our radical unschooling journey we did not allow Barbie dolls in our house. From our Steiner (Waldorf for you USA bods) perspective… but even from a basic sense of body image and feminism… it just seemed so wrong on so many levels.
In hindsight I realise how much power we gave those Barbies! By constantly avoiding them and rejecting offers of relatives to buy them. It drew our daughters focus and created a constant battle front.
We have since embraced her Barbie interest along with any interest she expresses. Soon after our shifts in parenting & radical unschooling we bought several bags worth of Barbies and accesories via ebay. Playing with them now seems pretty normal… but i still remember the joy of acceptance with our daughter when both anne & i played with her and her new Barbies for the first time.
I just found Ren’s quote on Sandra Dodds enormous unschooling site. It really hit home… how rejecting and belittling our daughter’s requests and interest was really what was going to undermine her self esteem! In the context of who we are, our relationship with our daughter, the values we model… the thought that their emaciated look could undermine her body image and self esteem seem ridiculous.
Reason #3488 why I am glad that we have changed.
PS. Amazingly as promised by Jenn from Brisbane Unschoolers… the Barbie dvds are pretty good! Gotta love that Swan Lake one. Thanks Jenn! 
That makes so much sense…
You’ve just helped me to get a good picture of what I’m doing with Arwen when I deny him his pleasures. It’s still challenging for me. I think I need to challenge my thinking on certain issues here… Thanks!
I’m glad it was useful to someone else!:)
Funny thing….
the company I work for (MAC cosmetics) recently launched a color line that was themed for Barbie. It’s titled “Barbie loves MAC” and because of the launch, I learned a lot about Barbie that I didn’t previously know.
Like the fact that she is the ultimate rebel! Back when Barbie was invented (by a Mom) there were only baby dolls for little girls to play with. The inventor wanted an adult doll for her daughter to play with…a doll that empowered little girls to think beyond being a homemaker. Imagine that! Barbie has been an astronaut, doctor, lawyer, mother among many other careers…all while being unmarried!:)
Oh, and I bought the MAC Barbie doll. Yeah, my crunchy side kinda cringes…but then the little girl in me jumps up and down for joy, because I can have my Barbie without the serving of guilt heaped on.
Fascination leads to great things. I’m so glad you could embrace your little one’s interest.
Well, if only I’d read this the day before yesterday, my own Barbie-issues might have been easier to circumvent! lol
(though I’ve read that quote from Ren, so it was in the back of my mind)
Love the concept… most of us came out normal after playing with Barbie. As when they become teenagers, they will rebel at some point and play at their friends’ house!