Beauty, Karma and Barbie

I don't want to sound like some uptight mom here, but I hate Barbie. I hate her for all the reasons you all already know - her bust to waist ratio, for perpetuating unrealistic body images, all the little crap she comes with (to much plastic makes me cringe), and most of all I hate the commercialism of Barbie. Where and I going with this? Bare with me...What I now know about being a parent is that parenthood is like instant karma. The children that come to us (and maybe this is just my children) are pre-loaded to love, act, and be all things in which we have little tolerance. I believe they are here to teach us how to be "flexible", achieve tolerance and become better people - but you have to open (open hands open mind people). So, after I just stated my feeling for Barbie you probably know what's coming next...Ava LOVES all things Barbie. I remember the first time she saw Barbie and Disney Princess stuff...we were at Target looking for a gift for a child who also loved Barbie (Ava was 2) and we turned down the isle that is draped in pink from top to bottom Ava literally gasps! Then she turn to me with this very crusty look that clearly read how dare you keep this from me, how long have you known Mommy Dearest, then she ran into the isle eyes darting from shelf to shelf memorizing every single little thing, which she spoke non-stop about for months and months relentlessly. I had broken the seal of all things Barbie and was entering into a new world that challenged every aseptic of my parenting style (Ava went to a Waldorf pre-school). To make a long story short(er) I had to talk with myself about beauty and self esteem. What would be more damaging to my girls, owning and playing with Barbies or having a mother who tells them what they believe is beautiful isn't or is unacceptable? As a mom trying to practice conscious-parenting, I choose allowing my daughters to express their love for things without judgement, and I believe that will give them the self-esteem to overcoming any bust to waist ratio Barbie has to offer. Now, my house is not full of Barbies and all of her accessories, and I do prefer Barbies new line of toys that comes from a more imaginative place like Fairytopia & Mermadia (since my girls know they are not growing up to be/look like a fairy or mermaid and don't think that was a mistake from Barbie producers - brilliant marketing), but we also practice moderation in our house - so Barbie isn't the only thing limited.

*disclaimer - I respect all styles of parenting and parents toy choices (accept for styles that are against the law - obviously). Being a parent is hard enough without other people passing judgment.

Woobee business: Look for Woobee Kids, BabyLegs, and the wonderful Parent Hacks doing more cool stuff together. I encourage all you business peeps to reach out to your favorite blog. If you don't have one yet, find one...they offer fantastic partnerships.