Most little kids had a Barbie growing up. Mine was a princess and she had a white horse. I spent hours playing with her, imagining how one day I too would be a long-haired princess and have a horse named Sugar. Barbies represented the perfect world that, if we’re lucky, we will grow into. Mum Kate Claxton wanted to add a dash of reality to that fantasy world and show her daughter that even perfect Barbies have stretch marks and it’s completely normal.
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Mom decided to show her daughter that stretch marks are normal using her toy
Image credits: reallyratherwild
Kate Claxton, an author of children’s books, is a mum to an adorable three-year-old girl. Wanting to raise a happy, confident adult, Kate is showing her that there are different bodies using Barbies, a toy her daughter is very fond of. In their home you’ll find Barbies with prosthetic legs, vitiligo, and some with fuller figures, just like women in real life.
“My three-year-old old daughter is really into her dolls at the moment and I try hard to give her a diverse and body-inclusive mix of Barbies,” Kate said.
However, she couldn’t find any dolls that had stretch marks. Kate herself has stretch marks and is very open with her daughter about what they are, where they come from and how beautiful her ‘tiger stripes’ are. So she decided to change it herself with a help of a little DIY.
Image credits: reallyratherwild
Using nail varnish, Kate Claxton added stretch marks to the vet Barbie
Image credits: reallyratherwild
Using nail varnish, she added stretch marks to various parts of Vet Barbie’s body – hips, breasts, and belly – as a powerful message of body positivity.
Kate faced serious body image struggles when growing up, perpetuated by perfect models in the heavily photoshopped magazine pictures and diet culture. She doesn’t want her daughter to suffer from the same fate, so she is doing everything in her power to raise a confident girl who is not affected by unrealistic body standards.
As a gift to her daughter on her first birthday, she published a book, called "My Mum's A Tiger", which is all about body inclusivity and positivity. The book is aimed to teach young children that stretch marks are beautiful and completely normal parts of the human body.
Stretch marks on hips, belly and breasts - all of them are normal parts of a human body
Image credits: reallyratherwild
When Kate shared the video of stretch mark Barbie, it quickly went viral. Parents were asking her how she drew stretch marks on her daughter’s toys, giving Claxton hope that she inspired a Barbie revolution.
When she shared a video of her stretch mark-adorned Barbie on social media, it really struck a chord with her followers.
The world is slowly moving in a positive direction. Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie, has already made changes. They feature dolls of different professions, ethnicities, disabilities, and body types. Perhaps Claxton’s call for stretch marks will work as a reminder that there is still a lot of work to do.
Kate said she wanted to instill body positivity in her three-year-old daughter by showing her different bodies
Image credits: reallyratherwild
When asked how her daughter reacted to the 'tiger stripes', Kate said she was more interested in her doctor outfit. Her reaction further proves the point that children do not care about appearances and appreciate the diversity if it's presented to them in a positive light from a young age.
Image credits: reallyratherwild
Despite making changes to the famous doll to demonstrate more 'normal' bodies, Kate is still a big fan of Barbies. She is eagerly awaiting one of the most anticipated movies of this summer, which, of course, is about Barbie.
“I have a whole date planned out with a friend, we’re even going for a Barbie afternoon tea where the food is served in a Barbie wardrobe,” she says.
Not everything in the world is black and white. Sometimes it's pink.
Image credits: reallyratherwild
Barbie represents the ideal - immaculate hair, thin body type, tiny feet
Image credits: illaria (not the actual photo)
But is it time to move on from the 'Barbie ideal'?
Image credits: Arianne Caluar (not the actual photo)
In the ideal world, there should be no ideal body types. Everyone should strive to be the best version of themselves – well rested, hydrated and properly nourished. Unfortunately, body trends come and go – from tall and extremely skinny models in the early 2000s, to voluptuous curves of the 2010s. They add millions to the beauty, plastic surgeon and fashion industries, harming people of all ages.
So perhaps, this new generation of parents will lessen the negative impact. Teaching kids from a young age that there are different bodies and that all of them are beautiful will help them become more confident. Having inclusive toys like Barbies with stretch marks will aid in that, but let's not forget that true acceptance and love for one’s body comes from a positive example from one's parents.
So what do you think of this Barbie? Would you have wanted to have her as a child or do you think this mom’s actions are over the top? Share your opinion in the comments.
Watch the video here:
Some people in the comments praised the mom for her decision
Others thought it was unnecessary
Image credits: www.facebook.com
