I received the March flyer from my local Christian booksellers yesterday and browsed through the pages. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the most recent product for young girls: the Proverbs 31 doll. Here's what the ad says: "Proverbs 31 dolls encourage young girls to pursue Biblical womanhood. [They] come with a Bible lesson, cookie recipe, two cookie cutters and a list of activities." And they have very spiritual, Old Testament names like Leah, Elisabeth (with an "s," not a "z"), and Abigail.
And now I see that I've done all the wrong things in training up Katie to pursue biblical womanhood. I've made sure that she goes to church and hears solid preaching, I've tried to teach her at home using biblical principles of right and wrong, I've made sure she goes to catechism, and I've sent her to Christian school so she will learn how to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. What she really needed was just a good cookie recipe (Do you think the Tollhouse chocolate chip recipe on the bag of chocolate chips would be okay?), a cookie cutter (probably the Christmas star), and a list of activities (I'm guessing things like read your Bible, sew an apron, and make a scrapbook). I've completely messed up! And to top it off, the name Kathleen/Katie is nowhere in the Bible!
But wait a minute--shouldn't these dolls come with a flashlight for those occasions when they work while it's still dark, a laptop with Quicken for tracking and calculating all those real estate transfers and for all of that personal finance they manage, and maybe a really great sewing machine for all of those scarlet clothes, bed coverings, and linen garments they'll be making? I don't see anything at all about cookie baking in there...
5 comments:
A Proverbs 31 doll and Biblical Womanhood? Are they referring to the fact that they think Proverbs 31 is proof of a woman staying at home? If so, that assumption is false. My minister had a sermon regarding this last summer, and Proverbs 31 does not say that a woman must stay at home.
Dave
I'm not sure, Dave. But it would seem that the makers of this doll, which they have designed to reflect the principles of that passage, find that cookie baking--whether done at home or away from home--seems to be the essence of biblical womanhood. That and a good Bible lesson.
Now, now Annette. We might have sold a few of these...
I wish that I would have known about these BEFORE Dallas was a teenager. THen maybe she would have better attitudes and listen better. ;)
I'll have to get a package for Sydnie ~ if we have't already passed that magical moment with her!
For only seeing an ad, I think you are judging these dolls inappropriately. First of all they are supposed to be an "alternative" to the "worldly" and very expensive American Girl Dolls. They are 1/2 the price of the AG doll. They have faith based and modest clothing. Although they do come with cookie cutters, that is not the only trait they encourage in a young girl. They also include service (ministry) ideas for girls to do, as well as several other ideas. They never imply that we should teach our girls that they have to stay at home. They also are not implying that you have raised your daughter incorrectly as you stated. They are a good christian alternative to some of the CRAZY toys that are out on the market today. They are also a great way to introduce Proverbs 31 to girls. The Proverbs 31 woman was a very enterprising and independent woman and the passage does not imply she just stayed at home. Just thought you should at least see both sides here. No insult intended! God Bless!!!
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