Can I buy a black doll for my white child?
This was one of the questions that came up in our survey, a great question that is important to highlight.
I understand that you may feel insecure about choosing dolls that don't match your child's skin color, fear of making a mistake or worry about what others will think.
- Are black dolls only for black children?
- Should you buy a doll that looks like your child or not?
What I usually say is that the children's dolls should represent our society, that is, show the wonderful diversity that we have around us. Choosing inclusive toys is never wrong. It is a step towards raising conscious, empathetic and inclusive individuals. It's about opening the door to important conversations about humanity.
➡️ At the same time, we know that representation is skewed in our society. That is, white children are surrounded by many white role models and heroes in toys, movies and books. That is not the case for black and brown children. To balance that image, it is important for black children to see themselves represented in a black doll and for white children to see the diversity of society with the help of black dolls.
➡️ What do you think?
I understand that you may feel insecure about choosing dolls that don't match your child's skin color, fear of making a mistake or worry about what others will think.
- Are black dolls only for black children?
- Should you buy a doll that looks like your child or not?
What I usually say is that the children's dolls should represent our society, that is, show the wonderful diversity that we have around us. Choosing inclusive toys is never wrong. It is a step towards raising conscious, empathetic and inclusive individuals. It's about opening the door to important conversations about humanity.
➡️ At the same time, we know that representation is skewed in our society. That is, white children are surrounded by many white role models and heroes in toys, movies and books. That is not the case for black and brown children. To balance that image, it is important for black children to see themselves represented in a black doll and for white children to see the diversity of society with the help of black dolls.
➡️ What do you think?