PARENTING: A toy that is sending the wrong kind of messaging to children
Is there a right kind of messaging?
Toys can be the most troublesome of things for some parents, and the most helpful of assets for others. We can call them a blessing and sin...If a child connects with a toy, sometimes that toy becomes their security blanket and if it's misplaced or something happens to it...
Well, if you are a parent then you get it, there's only room for a rough night ahead. But then you have kids who resonate with the simplest of toys, like egg boxes and milk carton caps. Now those were the days...
As a parent, the truth is that at some point or the other you may experience a child who wants a toy that they cannot necessarily have...Being on the tail end of saying 'No' to your child, isn't always easy but sometimes it has to be done.
Recently, some parents are up in arms over a makeover doll that they believe is sending the wrong message to children.
"The Failfix doll is the latest addition to Amazon’s toy section and many internet parents are not happy about it. The doll basically gives children the opportunity to do a makeover.
Many people are not happy with the doll and claim that it sends the wrong message to children – especially little girls with body dysmorphic disorders." (MSN)
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The reason many parents are upset about this doll is because they feel it is teaching children the wrong type of messaging. The doll comes in a dressing gown, with wild hair and smudged lipstick, and with the tools to fix her up and make her over.
One person commented saying: "A makeover doll set for 6yo’s. As if children in this day and age need any more ways to flatten their confidence or make them feel like they’re not good enough you add a #failfix toy to make their doll look prettier. Shame on you. And shame @Tesco for selling it.” (MSN)
The thing is that if you look carefully at any toy, it could be construed as something that could have the wrong kind of messaging. But that all depends on you and your parenting style.
Whether or not that toy set out to be discriminative in one way or the other is a subjective experience. If the ideal of the toy goes against what you teach your children, then perhaps it should be used as a teachable moment for the family. That we aren't confined to stereotypes and that we are far, far beyond that.
"Moose Toys has since denied making the toy to discriminate against or stereotype anyone. They also clarified that Failfix is about a failed makeover, not someone who has failed in life.
“FailFix is all about the transformation of a failed makeover, not a failed person.”" (MSN)
Image Courtesy of Instagram