Nika

by nika Cossu
(Spain)

No, I do not think Barbie influences the little girl playing with her, I have 2 kids, both played with Barbie and Ken, neither of them ever pretended to look, one day, like Barbie or ken, what they saw was, what Barbie was encouraging them to do, like do something of yourself, go over your possibilities, and reach your dreams

my 2 kids today, have good situations, with responsibilities, and they both have kids, and all my grand kids are (or will) play with Barbie /Ken.

As a Grand-ma I will encourage their imagination to go over some preconceived ideas
"If you play with Barbie... you think you will look like her..."

Barbie is not responsible Barbie is a toy!! , the adults, educators, parents are responsible of what kid creates in their head
Have you ever played with a teddy bear, a dinosaur or a pebble? did you ever dream to look like a teddy bear, a dinosaur or a pebble?

when I was a kid, I played with little matches, that I imagined to be little people, I never pretended to be a little piece of wood myself, and never put fire anywhere around me either.
I grew up and got married, and got kids and I still talk to them and I still know how to tell them that I love them and they say the same in return playing with Barbie, is playing with our own imagination, playing with something nice and believing of all the good we will do in our future
stop condemning a doll for the incompetence people encounter to rise their kids.