Carol Roth dollCarol’s recent post on entrepreneur.com is a must-read for gift buyers. Do dolls affect a girl’s self-esteem? Should you buy them – or refrain from buying them?

Carol has some very strong opinions on this subject, in addition to having an action figure / fashion doll in her own likeness. She shares some personal stories from her childhood, and her interactions with her father in “Dad, Not the Doll, Will Determine Your Daughters’ Success.” Carol begins:

“Recently, concerned dad Joshua Rogers wrote an open letter opinion piece to his daughters on why he won’t be buying them Barbie for Christmas — or any other occasion. 

While I am biased against Barbie for a different reason — their competitor, Integrity Toys, is my client and maker of my own Carol Roth entrepreneur action figure / fashion doll (see photos below) — I want to tell you and other parents out there that you are completely misguided regarding any doll’s effect on a girl’s self-image and success.

See, kids are smarter than many adults give them credit for. They understand that a toy and plaything is not reality. No toy will have anywhere near the effect of shaping your daughters’ futures as you potentially can.”

You can read the rest of the post here.