You don't need to be anybody but yourself

When we give our children toys to play with do we realise the underlying messages we are sending them? We give males guns and cars. We give females dolls and play cooking utensils. Are we being forced into becoming what we are rather than having the freedom to create ourselves?

Yes.

We believe that we are given freedom to find ourselves during our lives but the reality of societies influences and manipulation starts at a very young age. Birth. Is it blue or pink?

Society still seems to be baffled as to why so many young girls are silently suffering with eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, but if you look around you it is oh so obvious as to where the negative body images are coming from. 

Everywhere. 

The horrible reality of the first body image role model for young girls is this...

A plastic, oddly out of proportion, doll. With a wrist circumference of only 3,5", and a hip to waist ratio of 0.56, 0.23 below average. Is this the kind of role model we want? I know I don't. But what can we do? Stop our children from playing with toys? Or allow them to simple choose themselves rather than being forced into gender stereotypes and media pressures.

Unless we all form together and stop buying Barbie Dolls they aren't going to stop making them... or at least alter her proportions. But this obviously isn't going to happen. So just allow your children the choice of what they want to play with. Don't force any toys on children, and always remember to let everyone you know that they don't need to be anybody but themselves.

Peace out xo