Hyper-realistic baby dolls aren't a new thing. There are baby dolls that can go potty, talk, run a fever, and even some designed to look exactly like real newborns. But when one parent, who has a young daughter, placed an order for a set of twin dolls, the online shopper had no idea just how realistic the fake babies would be. The boy and girl dolls actually have a penis and a vagina, and this parent sparked a major debate on social media by posting about how "inappropriate" they are.
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'Is this is what the world comes to now?' Raynell Miller wrote on Facebook. 'Making dolls with the actual private parts for children?'
Miller explained that the twin babies weren't advertised as having private parts and that no one mentioned it in the reviews of the toys.
"I guess I just thought they were child friendly," Miller wrote. "But silly me huh lol Smh I’m glad I examined them before she got a chance to play with it!! Granted, the girl doll would have been fine since she has that part but my lil girl ain’t ready to be playing with dolls who has their d—-s out."
But most people did not agree with Miller's point of view.
Some pointed out how weird it is that we're willing to lie to kids about something as basic as having different body parts.
Others wondered what Miller would do if other siblings were in the picture.
And one person pointed out that teaching kids about their bodies is actually an important way to protect them from abuse.
As Dona Matthews, PhD, wrote for Psychology Today, "When children feel awkward talking about certain body parts — if they giggle when someone mentions those parts, for example — they’re more likely to feel embarrassed about asking questions, and they’re less likely to tell you if someone is touching them inappropriately."
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But some people did agree with Miller. At least one person said the dolls were forcing anatomy knowledge on kids.
Ultimately, parents have to decide how to talk to their kids about their bodies, but it's important for all of us to remember that there's nothing inherently inappropriate about a penis or a vagina. Kids deserve to know how their bodies work, and whether we teach that through talking or by buying them a realistic baby doll, it's just important that they get the message somehow.
