Give Barbie a break

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/dec/13/give-barbie-a-break

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Rebecca Atkinson asks "What's happened to Barbie?" (Family, 7 December). I have three daughters. My youngest, aged nine, has always loved Barbie. Yes, Barbie being totally pink is sucky. But, by seven, your daughter will be over the pink thing. At aged four many girls want to be a princess but, a few years later, that option has given way to an equally unrealistic list of bizarre non-jobs because, hey, children have no real idea about the grown-up world of work. My youngest watches Barbie DVDs. DVD-Barbie is brave and confident and goes on adventures. She takes on evil mermaids, fairy queens and… men. And she always wins. In Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale, she is smart and sassy while boyfriend, Ken, is a bumbling buffoon. In Barbie And The Three Musketeers, she catches the prince's eye and he invites her to his palace. Barbie replies: "No way Jose, I'm off to be a musketeer with my girrrlfriends." Way to go, Barbie! How many other movies pitched at girls show them in such a positive independent light? And, DVD-Barbie is nearly always in ballet pumps – one can't do kung-fu in killer heels. My daughter isn't defined by her love of Barbie. She's a thoughtful, well-rounded individual and I'm very proud of her. Having suffered angst myself over her first Barbie, I feel your pain but, let your daughter have a Barbie, she'll be OK – come on, she has you as a mother. <br /><strong>Kate Tym</strong><br /><em>St Leonards, East Sussex</em>

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