"Help Me! Help Me!"

I want to raise both my children as feminists, but sometimes I wonder how. Perhaps I'm being oversensitive but Christmas brought up a few... trigger points shall we say.

My daughter got a baby doll and a stroller for Christmas, and she absolutely loves them. I had a hand in making sure she got those gifts so it's no problem. I tried to introduce a doll to my son (a boy doll that I had growing up) when he was one but he didn't take to it in the same way.

She also got some Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Not first generation child-like, innocent looking ones like these:

The modern day, taller, "sexier" ones like these:

 

These dolls epitomize the classic sexualization of young girls, unattainable beauty standards, etc, etc. My daughter is so little she won't care, at least not yet. But the dolls certainly gave me pause.

Lastly, we got her a Calico Critters Baby Discovery Forest. There is a little perch at the top of the tree and her favorite thing is to put a Critter, other figurine, or stuffed animal at the highest perch and say, "Help me! Help me!"  

Where she learned this, I have no idea. It wasn't from me. She loves it, but I find myself wanting her to play and put emphasis herself as the rescuer. A few days after Christmas she started playing "Help me! Help me!" on the train table, but she has started being the rescuer too.

"Help me! Help me!....Otay!" She exclaims in her cute one year old way as one toy rescues the other.

 

I have to remind myself she isn't even two yet, and her play doesn't mean the same to her as it does to me. She has so much time to change and grow. Still, it is something I will continue to be mindful of as she grows up.