Toy Like Me- Awesome or Awful?

When I first came across the Distractify article about the "World's First Line of Dolls with Disabilities...", I thought, that is a really great idea. For a child with a visible disability (hearing aid, cane for blindness, in a wheelchair, discoloration on her skin), these dolls could do wonders for their self-esteem. Look, a doll just like me! A group of moms began this movement with the hashtag #toylikeme, and would actually alter their children's dolls to be more like them. Makies, a company that specializes in creating personalized 3D dolls, created 3 dolls with disabilities.

Look! A #toylikeme And it only costs $126!

Not long after I read about these handicapable dolls, I found an article in the NY Post (I know...) titled "I have a birthmark on my face, I don't need a doll with one." I opened it prepared to read it with anger and reply with a bitter, self-righteous special educator's "I know what I'm talking about" reply. 

Alas, I was wrong.

Kirsten Fleming is just fine, thank you very much!

Writer Kirsten Fleming was brought up with a birthmark on her face which is "brown and vaguely shaped like Africa." She has had a lot of comments made- are you half black? Did you get hit in the face? And one toothless carnie told her "Yer face is dirty!" These running commentaries that have been made about her face have not made her want to run and hide or cover her face with make up- on the contrary, they are stories to tell with humor and to make her laugh. Kirsten was obviously brought up in the era of being raised by parents who felt that you needed to feel good about yourself from the inside first. No one cared about her looks- not her friends, not her family- basically, her parents treated her just like any other kid, just like they treated her brothers. She gained her self worth on her academic ability, her skills on the soccer field. 

Kirsten is my age, and just like me, she wasn't coddled. If something went wrong in our lives (in school, with our friends) our parents made us deal with it and move on. You did something in school to get in trouble? You are wrong and your teacher is right- stop passing notes. You failed a test? Study harder. You and a friend fought? Make up and get over it. You feel ugly and awkward? Everyone does. You'll get over that too.

A handicap is obviously very different than these scenarios. So here is the debate. Should children have these toys to make them feel "normal" or should they spend less time focusing on their handicap? Fleming writes about a couple who had a child with birthmarks on her legs, so they tattooed the same birthmarks on their own legs. She felt disgusted, that they are doing this to look like martyrs, like saints, like heroes. Do you agree? My head is swimming with both sides. 

I just don't know.