When I was a kid, I had a pile of dolls, and I loved each and every one of them. I gave each of them names, biographies, and stories.

I’d even make them tiny meals! We went on adventures together. I was devastated if I lost one. I was heartbroken when one broke. Each of them was a very real friend to me as a kid.

Yet, for whatever reason, my mom insisted that I shouldn’t play with Barbie dolls, no matter how cool her dollhouse was. I didn’t quite understand why until I was older.

Dolls have always garnered much controversy. Their curvy, idealized bodies, overt makeup, and even skin tone can greatly affect the way young girls perceive themselves.

With such high expectations projected onto our daughters, how are they supposed to feel when they look in the mirror?

If dolls represent “pretty” but don’t represent or resemble the girls who play with them, what are they to believe about themselves?

Moms around the world often struggle with this predicament. They want their daughters to have awesome toys, but they certainly don’t want them to have self-esteem issues.

How do you provide a little girl with this traditional and sentimental gift without the potential of harming her sense of self?

The solution is difficult, but one mom is figuring out how to navigate the world of hyper-sexualized dolls and imagery.