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| http://disneyjunior.com/ |
Have you seen Doc McStuffins? I love her. I think she is awesome for a lot of reasons.
1. She is the main character in a Disney show and she is not a princess
I like princesses, Carly loves princesses, but if she is going to watch cartoons, I don't want them to all be about princesses. Often the princess is a damsel in distress. Carly doesn't like them because of this - she likes them because animals are their friends and they get to wear pretty dresses. Doc's best friends are toys that "wake up" when she puts her stethoscope on. While this is also not realistic, Doc is the rescuer, not the one needing rescued. That is much more realistic. Imaginative play is good, it is important for toddler development.
2. She is a girl who wants to be something professional
So many jobs geared towards girls are not jobs in which you need education or training. As a CTE teacher I see the benefit of these jobs every where, however, I want my daughter to know that if she wants to have a career that takes lots of training and dedication, she can.
3. She is nice to her friends and her goal is helping people and their toys
Doc (real name Dottie) has empathy and talks kindly toward her friends, her brother, and toys that she knows or finds. She helps those who are in need and nicely explains things to them so that they can understand. Empathy is a hard thing for a toddler, I hope Carly is learning empathy from us, but also from the things she sees around her.
4. She promotes taking care of your toys and belongings
If something is broken she tries to fix it, she doesn't throw the toys away. She finds pieces and parts and explains that scars and patches are just fine to have. She expresses how each toy is different and that is good. She promotes getting along and being a team as well as finding a place where you belong and not changing yourself to fit a mold of what others want you to be.
5. She is a girl of color and the main character in a cartoon
I don't want my daughter thinking that only people of a certain ethnicity or gender are made for certain jobs based on where they live or what they look like. I like when there are role models that don't look like my daughter. Even though my husband and I try hard to set good examples, she is bombarded by media and I think instead of saying "the media is a horrible thing that promotes bad ideas, don't let your kid watch any TV" that we should choose carefully the media we let her consume. The ideals she grows up with now will shape her ideals later, and knowing that she is being taught by us and her favorite people on TV that it does not matter what you look like, is a big deal to me.
6. She has a mom that works A LOT and dad that stays at home most of the time.
I am a teacher, I work a lot, not as much as Doc's mom who is a doctor, but a lot. Sometimes Carly's dad is the one making supper, giving her a bath and putting her to bed because I am at a Scholars Bowl meet or away at an FCCLA function. I think it is wonderful that my daughter can see that in her life and on TV the fathers can be the caretakers too. Not only is she feeling secure that her daddy will take care of her, but she is learning that you do not have to hold to traditional gender roles. Doc's dad is at home quite a bit, he has a part time job, and is usually the one making supper and taking care of Doc and her brother during the episodes. I love that my husband is so good with our daughter. They laugh, they cuddle, they eat steak and mac n cheese for supper. It is a good time when mom is not home.
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| Photo from http://disneyjunior.com/doc-mcstuffins |
