Justice

What Happened When This Kid Asked For An "American Boy" Doll

October 26th 2015

American Girl dolls have enriched the lives of little girls for nearly 30 years, and writer Gina DeMillo Wagner just let her 6-year-old son, Miles in on the fun by making him an "American Boy" doll when he asked her for one for his upcoming birthday. Here's how he responded to the gift:

DeMillo Wagner wrote in a recent blog post that Miles asked for just two things for his birthday: Legos and an American Boy doll. She wasn't surprised, because he's been playing My Little Pony and American Girl doll games with his sister for a while. After his sister received one of American Girl’s popular “Truly Me” dolls, which are custom-made to look like their owners, Miles wanted one as well.

"Trouble is, there are no 18-inch 'American Boy' dolls available," DeMillo Wagner wrote, adding that Target's recent decision to remove gender-specific signs in toy departments doesn't mean the fight for gender neutral toys has been won. "Companies like Target may be moving toward gender neutrality in their toy aisles, but the trend has yet to trickle down into specific toy brands, especially dolls. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I’d give a girl doll a makeover to resemble a boy (but not just any boy…. my boy)."

After buying an 18-inch doll made by doll manufacturer, Madame Alexander, DeMillo Wagner made some adjustments to the toy to make it look like her son:

 

"Miles has been asking for an 'American Boy' doll for the past year," she wrote on Facebook. "Sadly, they don't make them....But his mama does! I bought an 18-inch girl doll and gave her a makeover. Meet Miles' new buddy, Fred!"

DeMillo Wagner shared another photo of "Fred" on Instagram:

Fred was lauded by many of DeMillo Wagner's followers and blog fans:

Gina DeMillo Wagner blog commentsGina DeMillo Wagner blog - ginadwagner.com

Gina DeMillo Wagner Instagram commentsGina DeMillo Wagner Instagram - instagram.com

Gina DeMillo Wagner Facebook commentsGina DeMillo Wagner Facebook - facebook.com

DeMillo Wagner joins a growing number of adults who support children challenging gender stereotypes with toys and beyond. Over the summer, production company founder Mikki Willis went viral on social media after sharing a video explaining why he let his son Azai get a mermaid doll for his birthday.

In the video, Willis says that Azai recently received two of the same gift for his birthday, prompting them to go to a local toy store and exchange one of the presents for something different. Willis reveals a mermaid doll, which he says Azai picked out himself.

 

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