https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 20 May 2026 04:14:12 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33986 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:53:02 +0000 Miss Adia 33986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>MrsJazz-That's awesome! I didn't want to cut my hair, but my twist outs and bantu knots are not turning out right because I still have relaxed hair. So after the holidays I am doing the BC! At first I was just going to shave it all off and start over but my mother has begged me not to do that. </p> <p>My daughter is in the cut everything up phase right now so her Barbies have some interesting looks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33983 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:51:54 +0000 Adira 33983@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll definitely let my kids play with Barbies! I LOVED having Barbies and even collected them at one point. I still have a few in their packages (Hello, Lord of the Ring Barbies). My mom even made this GORGEOUS dress for one of my Barbies (we saw the Barbie dress in a magazine for $$$ and I loved it, so my mom made a copy of it for me for cheap)! Like, I think, all teenage girls, I had self esteem issues, but it had nothing to do with Barbie, haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33972 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:43:56 +0000 mrsjazz 33972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Miss Adia: I agree with you completely that it starts at home. My daughter won't have a relaxer, I haven't had one in almost 10 years. I'm not against having Barbies with straight hair--my daughter's grandma and auntie have relaxed hair--but I want her type/her mother's type of hair to be represented, too. Plus, I want one of those natural hair Barbies for myself :)</p> <p>@MsMamaBear: I never would've thought of it either. I found out about these dolls through a blog I read and have the pages bookmarked. My sister and I gave our Barbies the worst hair cuts ever :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33963 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:38:36 +0000 MsMamaBear 33963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: Wow, I would have NEVER thought to try that. I don't know if I'd do it because if my daughter will be anything like me, she is going to comb and then cut her doll's hair.LMBO!</p> <p>I really want to go buy a barbie and try this now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33949 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:32:13 +0000 MsMamaBear 33949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Miss Adia: I plan to do the same thing. :) I've been natural for a year and I HOPE her seeing my hair as she gets older, as well as other family members, helps her to love her hair. I don't plan to let her put one in until she's in college IF she wants it. I hope not. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33945 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:27:09 +0000 HabesBabe 33945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'll let our kids play with Barbies-- daughter or son, they can play with them.</p> <p>I didn't have dolls growing up, but that didn't prevent me from picking flowers and other plants in our garden and pretending that they were dolls. I don't see anything wrong with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33940 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:24:33 +0000 Rosie Girl 33940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I played with Barbies, and it never affected my view on myself or other people. It was a doll, which I knew wasn't realistic. So yes, if DD wants to play with Barbies, she will. DS actually played with some the other day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33932 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:22:02 +0000 Mrs.KMM 33932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If my children want Barbies, I'll let them play with them.</p> <p>I played with a ton of Barbie dolls growing up and never compared my body to them or wanted to look like them. Honestly, I find the thought kind of silly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33903 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:12:43 +0000 Sunshine1810 33903@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I played with Barbies and I never had self-esteem issues because of it. If we have a daughter I will let her have Barbie dolls if she wants them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33764 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:03:27 +0000 chopsuey 33764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a barbie growing up and loved washing her hair, dressing her up, and playing with her. I probably won't buy a barbie for her, but if she receives one as a gift I won't have a problem with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33760 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:02:22 +0000 Miss Adia 33760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>She has Barbies. I had hundreds of Barbies growing up and I'm not disappointed or have low self esteem because I don't have plastic parts. </p> <p>I think a lot of adults are just projecting their issues onto children.<br /> In fact, I am trying to get my hands on the TokiDoki tattooed barbie. I wouldn't let her play with it though since it's an adult collectible.</p> <p>MrsJazz-I agree with you on the hair part, but that starts at home. My daughter has natural hair and I am never ever going to put a relaxer in her hair and I've already told her to embrace her natural hair. If she chose to later in life to straighten it or put other chemicals in it, I told her that it's okay. Any hairstyle can be beautiful on a black woman as long as the hair style doesn't come from self hate. I've ruined my own hair because I grew up thinking it had to be straight like white people's to be beautiful. Now, I am ready to cut all of my hair off and be natural for real. I haven't had a relaxer in almost a year. Anyway, I don't think I will change her Barbie's hair, but I plan on educating her about all types of hair as she continues to grow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33759 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:02:15 +0000 MsMamaBear 33759@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, she will. I loved them...that was one thing I got really excited about when she was born! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33722 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:38:51 +0000 cyndistar3 33722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter will totally have barbies! I loved playing with them as a child and it never caused me any issues. Bratz dolls on the other hand.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33685 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:11:47 +0000 Meridian 33685@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ditto, I'm with most of you! I played with Barbies for years and spent hours dressing them up... and I think I'm fine. Never had any desire to be blond either ;) </p> <p>I think I will be happy to buy my future daughter her first Barbie! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33684 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:08:53 +0000 Rescuemom10 33684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I played with Barbies and Jem as well. Never wanted or felt I had to look like her. At 8 SD has never had the desire to. To be honest she had recieved some as gifts. But its something she never had an interest in. Either way I would not have minded. I can see why some would feel they didnt want their children too. But IMO I dont think its that big of a deal. I would MUCH rather my child want a Barbie vs. those Brat dolls or some of the other dolls that are out these days! THOSE are disgusting to me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33678 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:02:03 +0000 mrsjazz 33678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I played with Barbies (and Jem) as a child. I will probably do some DIY work to my daughter's future barbies, because for me, the issue with barbie and similar dolls is hair. As a kid I never thought about barbies body shape but I know my sister and I did want long and flowing hair like hers. We used to put t-shirts on our heads and pretend it was hair like Barbie's.</p> <p>As a Black woman, I want my daughter to grow up not feeling like she needs to straighten her hair--and that's how it was for me. It's not just Barbie that perpetuates this, this is society as a whole, but it can start with a toy. I will allow her different Barbies and have seen a couple of online tutorials about how to give the dolls a makeover to make their hair look like some natural African-American hair (like my hair and her hair)--an afro, twists, locks, etc.</p> <p>Here's an example: <a href="http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/07/diy-natural-dolls.html" rel="nofollow">http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/07/diy-natural-dolls.html</a></p> <p>And an afro here: <a href="http://playbarbies.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/custom-rotini-or-halo-hair/" rel="nofollow">http://playbarbies.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/custom-rotini-or-halo-hair/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33663 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:49:19 +0000 L2sweetpea 33663@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I played with them all the time. It didn't effect me negatively. If that's what my daughter wants to play with then she'll play with them </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33657 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:43:07 +0000 safdxb 33657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I played with barbies as a child and didn't suffer any self esteem issues. I used them more to dress up and they acted out plays I had written in my mind. If I have a little girl I would gladly let her play with barbies, I may even join her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33599 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:41:49 +0000 prettylizy 33599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My sister and I loved barbies as children, mostly for the clothes. We never associated her with "what I want to be when I grow up". I was more interested in being my mom when I grew up, who is 5'2" and not Barbie shaped by any means. It was just so much fun to dress them up in the zillion outfits we had. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33591 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:35:44 +0000 mrsjyw 33591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@artbee: I'm with you. I played with barbies and never had any body image/self esteem issues. I didn't want to play with them past fourth grade any way because "no one played with barbie dolls" anymore.</p> <p>We will definitely let a daughter, if we have one, play with barbies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33589 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:35:17 +0000 yoursilverlining 33589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no problem with Barbie, but my husband does. I played with Barbie and she was my favorite toy for many years and I would definitely buy Barbies for any daughter I have. (and play dolls with her too!)</p> <p>My husband thinks as a feminist that it sends the wrong message to girls at impressionable ages. As an adult, I understand where he’s coming from, but playing with them as a child, I never wondered if I would look like Barbie, or wished to look like Barbie. My self esteem didn’t suffer as I grew into a tomboy figure and not Barbie’s figure. Even though her figure is obviously sexualized, I don’t find Barbies to be as sexualized as other dolls like Bratz dolls, which I don’t like for that reason.</p> <p>I think if you encourage girls to grow into strong women and provide lots of positive role models, a doll isn’t going to cancel that out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33580 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:24:23 +0000 mediagirl 33580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>IF we have a daughter, I will definitely let her play with barbies, if that is what she wants to play with. I had no problems as a child with self esteem and never once compared myself to a doll. I hope that any daughter of ours would be the same way. She's a doll to play with, not a role model or something to strive to be like. Ps...have you seen the barbie and ken wedding photos? Ridiculous!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33572 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:10:36 +0000 Mrsbells 33572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I played with barbie and that never made me want to look like her.. so I dont really agree with that. If my kids like barbie I will let them play with her </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33571 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:09:26 +0000 MamaMoose 33571@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm with you. I won't introduce barbie, but if my child asks for one, I won't say no. I think if you ban barbie all together you almost give more power to that ideal. It's important to have discussions with your children about body image and self-esteem, and you can make barbie a part of those conversations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/will-youdo-you-let-your-child-play-with-barbie#post-33568 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:07:29 +0000 heffalump 33568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My MIL is very against Barbie, probably for obvious reasons. She's not realistic and she worries about kids wanting to look like her, and then getting a low self esteem when they don't. My husband agrees with her.</p> <p>I have mixed feelings. I also agree with them... but I played with Barbie. And I have no desire to be a tall blonde with big boobs. I like my dark brown hair and I actually wish my boobs were smaller. </p> <p>I think we'll skip buying her a Barbie until she asks for one. I'm sure she'll end up playing with it at a friend's house, so it's not like we can shield her from it anyway. </p> <p>Will your child play with Barbie? </p>