Traditional toys still hold appeal

Claire Peirson (right), an expert in Applied Positive Psychology and the managing director of Pivotal Mind, Dubai, says the concept of marketing space babies to girls could have an interesting dimension. “From having my own children, I understand that lots of children have inquiring minds and a vivid imagination, so I’d presume they would find this concept novel and appealing.” Plenty of children, she says are still drawn to traditional toys just as much as digital concepts.

On the subject of girls playing with dolls and their nurturing instincts, Peirson says: “I believe that playing with dolls brings out a nurturing instinct in children and encourages role play, both individually and in group play.”

But she also makes a point aboutgender neutrality. “When I trained as a teacher 20 years ago, role-play areas were always non-gender specific and boys were just as happy playing with dolls as girls ... I think we’ve moved a long way past stereotyping ... I hope so anyway.”

The boys with guns and the girls with dolls debate, she says, “was hopefully left behind in the 1970s. Come on, this is 2018, surely we’re all bored with that discussion?”

On whether make-believe clinics that attend to make-believe ailments for dolls help kids develop broader emotional range, Peirson says: “I see no problem in children using imaginative play to express their ideas.”

Ultimately, it is the parents who need to be in tune with the physical, mental and emotional well-being and upbringing of their children, she says.