Sunday, December 10, 2006

Are Girl Games Okay?

Girls are no longer required to be demure and quiet. In fact, girls are encouraged to break away from stereotypes of old. The feminist movement of the seventies ensured that all little girls have an opportunity to break free of tea parties and dolls, but a great debate still rages. Despite efforts to move these youngsters away from these stereotypical pursuits, princess costumes and tea party sets are still major sellers. Are these girl games okay?

Parents of this day and age work hard to raise their children without stereotypes and gender roles. Especially sensitive parents might buy their young son a baby doll and offer their daughter a fire truck. They are a bit confused, and perhaps slightly relieved, when the kids switch presents and go merrily on their way. If parents are trying so hard to move their daughters away from dolls and dress up games, why do the girls resist so strongly?

Girl Games
The games that are under so much fire from critics involve traditional, ultra feminine aspects including dressing up, playing with dolls, and play kitchens. Some purport that forcing a little girl to play with baby dolls and kitchen sets will relegate her to a life of uneducated motherhood and domesticity, which is surely not the message we are trying to send. The main problem in this argument, of course, is that it fails to take into consideration what the little girls want.

Believe it or not, in many situations, these girls choose to play these games. Entire aisles of toy stores are full of dolls, doll accessories, doll clothing, and much more. These girls are not being forced to play dress up games; they are electing to do so. Of course, they have other toys and games to play, but for many, the call of fashion or nurturing is just too strong. According to many researchers, and even more parents, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this.

Online Girl Games
The most logical trajectory for these young women who enjoy dolls and fashions is to move the games online. Entire websites, such as TheDollPalace.com have been designed for these specific types of games. Bases, much like Barbie dolls, are created and available for the girls to dress. There are endless amounts of fashion items and accessories to build dolls with, and many of these sites offer forums and chats for the doll lovers to interact.

The bottom line, of course, is that you can force a toy on a child, be it a doll or a football, but there is no way to make that child enjoy it or even play with it. If a daughter enjoys having tea parties and dressing up like a princess, there is absolutely no reason to fear for her independence as an adult. In fact, many grown women still enjoy playing with dolls, and spend time on dolling websites, such as TheDollPalace.com as well. Girl games became immensely popular and remain so for good reason. They are fun, and if encouraged and accepted, can be an excellent outlet for creativity and imagination.

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