Fans of American Girls dolls now have a new accessory for their dolls - an allergy-friendly lunch that comes with a customizable medical ID bracelet and a doll-sized auto-injector.
Having a doll that is "just like me" can be very important to young girls. A doll-sized medical ID might make it easier for some girls to wear their own medical IDs without embarrassment. And pretend play is a powerful tool to reduce anxiety over carrying an auto-injector.
The accessory package is an add-on to any American Girl doll. At $28.00, it is not a cheap toy, but parents of girls with food allergies may feel it is worth the cost for their child to feel validated by having a doll just like them.
The American Girl line of dolls and books has a huge variety of accessories, from tiny musical instruments to wheelchairs and casts. It is a sign of the growing number of children with food allergies that a toy allergy-free lunch is a profitable venture for the company.
I hope that the company will have great success with this product, and will go on to create an allergy-friendly menu for it's in-store restaurants. American Girl fans would love to take their dolls to the cafe for a gluten-free cupcake and some lemonade, or a dairy-free bitty hamburger and fries.
Ridiculous
Ridiculous? Our daughter loved the thought that her doll could be just like her in every way, even with deadly food allergies. Role playing with her doll has helped her work through the ugly and terrifying fact that she has almost died 3 times due to her food allergy. Kindness and compassion is a wonderful thing. Has anyone ever “been there for you” during a difficult time? Dig deep and ty to feel compassion for these children.
If you think it’s ridiculous don’t buy it. But just because you don’t want that personal accessory for your doll why should they not offer it? is it any different than the wheelchair, glasses, braces, or even the horse, bicycle, ice skates, etc.? No it’s not. It is an accessory offered by American Girl for purchase by those who might identify with it. As a parent who carries around an Epipen everywhere her child goes I think it’s wonderful! My kid feels different enough without people like you further causing embarrassment and stigma.
Pretend play is the way that children cope with serious issues in their lives – from working out how to share toys to dealing with illness and death. I think it is wonderful that the American Girl company has started to offer this in their line of accessories for that reason.
That said, American Girl products are expensive. And there are kids (both boys and girls) that don’t connect with them. So maybe your son’s stuffed animals need a fanny pack, or your daughter’s favorite plastic pony needs a special lunch. It doesn’t have to be a special product, you can cut up some straws and pretend they are Epi-pens, and use masking tape to tape them onto a special toy. Or you can follow these directions for a kid-friendly easy craft to make your own simple toy Epi-pen. Your child’s imagination will take over from there.
What a great idea! Now my daughter can relate with a toy that is just like she is. Good job American Doll!